The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-07-12

that on the public has been informed
very fully Of the movement.
"Now as to the American Railway
Union. first heard OF this organizl L.
ton and its leaders in their strike
against the Great Northern road which
recently they succeeded in tying up
This organization and its leaders, ap-
pearing flushed with the outcome OF
the Great Northern strike, and ambi,
tious to gain national notoriety, set
themselves to inaugurate the strike at
Pullman as pretext to spread their
influence.
"The Pullman Company was not, Of
course, responsible for the wage de.
preston which was brought about by
the inexorable laws of trade.
"What is the result? They have
tied up all railroads, incommoded the
public, interfered with the transmits
sion OF the United States mail. and
acted generally in high handed
manner,
"Debs has practically said to all peo.
pie on the Pacific coast You shall
not be permitted to travel on the rail
roads, He has told the railroads that
they shall not haul Pullman cars.
Why, many OF the roads own from
so to rs per cent. OF the sleeping cars
on their lines, and they are simply op.
Grating for personal account. But
this is not all. l have just learned
that Debs hiss tied up the Wabash,
which runs exclusively Wagner cars.
@Nc~f as to the published statement
that the question would be left to ar
pitration. Speaking for the Pullman
Company, can say most positively
that that can not be done. There is
nothing to arbitrate.
II do not know how / can better
express my views on this subject than
by furnishing the Times with copy
of letter which l recently wrote in
reply to one received from a promi.
nent citizen in Chicago, who had sug-
gested if settlement might not be
reached" The letter read:
Your note OF the Goth inst. reaches
me only this morning. l have read it
with interest, and, Of course, concur
with you in wishing termination OF
the present condition OF affairs at Pull
man, but | must frankly say to you
that the solution suggested by you is
not practicable. You perhaps are not
aware that the erecting OF houses at
Pullman has no relation to the work
in the shops. Employees may, and
very many do. own or rent their
houses outside OF the town, and the
buildings and business places in the
town are rented to employees or to
others in competition with neighbor-
ing property. In short, the building
business Of the Pullman Company is
| governed by the same conditions
which govern you or any other prop
erty owner, except that the company
itself does directly some things which
in Chicago are assumed by the city,
II, therefore, it is not admitted that
the rents OF any landlord are to be
fixed by arbitration, and that thoie OF
the adjoining towns Of Kensington
and Roseland should also be so fixed,
it can hardly be asked that the Pull
man Company alone should abandon
the ordinary theories which govern
persons in that relation. | notice you
lay much stress on the fact that there
has been no violence or destruction Of
property at Pullman. should be sorry
to think that such things could in any
event be the out come OF all that hal
been done there since the establish
ment OF The town thirteen years ago
the welfare OF which in every respect
fhas always been, as think you know
the most constant object of my solici
tude as president Of this company.
II the fact you note is really to be
deemed remarkable, may not perhaps
some credit be given to the admins
tration of the company which prohibits
drinking saloons and provides various
sources for the elevation of character
1 regret very much that the employees
have permitted themselves, under the
instigation Of persons almost unknown
to them, and wholly ignoring the es
sentisl facts in their desire to make
their places of seeming importance tt
be subjected to the distress and loss 0
wages (now amounting to quarter 0
million dollars) which have occurred
and | am especially sorry for thos,
who. themselves willing to continu,
their useful work, are compelled to b,
idle by the inaction Of their comrades
am afraid that can not encour
age you to look for any solution ex
cept as a result of those who wish t.
be employed at the Pullman shop
realizing and acting upon the rule 0
business that the aggregate cost Of
piece Of work must not exceed its sell
ing price. A continued violation .
that rule must wreck the Pullman
shops or any other shops, and permS
nently stop all work Of their employees
This company can not control th
selling price Of cars,and it can not pa
: mora for maxine them than IL ca