The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-07-21
a STATEMENT


issued by Pullman, the Sleeping Car Mag
nate, rs to the Trouble With Ills Work
men.
NEW York, July 14.-Gcorge NJ. Pull
man arrived in the city Friday morn.
ing and Friday evening gave out 6
statement to the public. Mr.. Pullman
says:
1.-THE leaders of the disorder have
not hesitated to harrass the public by
all means in their power, because, as
they say, the Pullman Co. would moi
submit to arbitration, and now that dis.
order seems to be quesied they are rein
forced in their clamor for arbitration
by some prominent newspapers, but,
as far as / know, but very few If any
business men in the country.
s'What is the demand concealed un.
der the innocently sounding word arbi.
tration?"
IA little more than year ago the
car shops at Pullman were in "a most
prosperous condition; work was plenty,
wages were high and the condition OF
the employees was indicated by the fact
that the local savings bank had in saw
ings deposits nearly 100000, nearly all
of which was the property of the en-
ployes
'Our pay rolls show an average
caring of over 500 per annum for every
man, woman or youth on the roll
Then came the great panic and depres
sion of last summer. Many customers
stopped negotiations and cancelled or
ders, and our working force had to be
| n lirvpir ich csx =
to about two thousand in November
1893.
1.-The great business depression exist
ing throughout the country had nat
urally resulted in a wage depression
and the only hope of getting orders
was by bidding for work as low OF
lower than could be made by other
shops, and this, of course. necessitated
a reduction in the wages of the EN-.
ployes at Pullman. This was arranged
satisfactorily, as l supposed, and in
close competitions, disregarding all ac.
count of capital and machinery, 1 Sc
cured enough work to gradually in.
crease our force to 4,2O0, the number
on the rolls last April.
"Nine weeks ago the carshops at
Pullman were working with car-build.
ing contracts on hand to keep them
going for about sixty days, and with
all business forecasts leading to the
belief that no considerable new orders
could soon be had. The most import.
ant of the work in hand had been taken
by me in competition at prices which
were less than the actual cost to the
company of delivering cars, without
reckoning for the use of capital and
plant.
''This work was taken to keep the
large force of men employed, and to
postpone, with the hope of avoiding
classes of people at Pullman and vicin.
ity, of a closing down of the works, to
prevent which the company considered
it wise policy to operate the shops at
an actual loss"
SIN the early part of May" continues
the statement, "a committee of the
employees met and demanded restora.
ton of the wages of year ago. ex.
planned to this committee, minutely
and laboriously, the facts, showing
that the company was already paying
them more than it was receiving for
their contract work, and offered them,
for complete assurance and to end all
questions, inspection of our books and
contracts in hand.
This, and the beginning at once at
Pullman of a promised careful investi.
CATION of a number of shop complaints,
seemed to end all trouble: but day
later, under the excitement of their re.
cruiting into the new organization, the
worllmen closed the shops by abandon.
ing their work, thus themselves doing
what was strenuously trying to pre-.
vent being done by the depression OF
the car-building business, and the EN-.
ployes who quit their work have de.
prived themselves and their comrades
of earnings of more than $500, 900 up to
this time.'
Mr. Pullman claims that arbitration
is impossible, as the men are not now
in the employ of his company and the
shops are closed. The statement goes
on to show that rents in Pullman were
not exorbitant, it averaging only about
$500 per room. Employees may and
very many do rent their houses outside
of the town.
"As to the charges for water, the
company lately had contract with
the village of Hyde Park, under which
it paid four cents per thousand gallons
and pumped the water itself. The
gross amount paid the village pc,
month for the water consumed by the
tenants was almost exactly the gross
S. IN paid by the tenants therefor.
Since the inclusion of Hyde PARK
and Pullman within the city of Chi
cago the company pays the city about
seven cents per thousand gallons, an6
uot having increased the charge to the
tenants is paying for the water con
sumed by them about $500 more pc,
month more than is charged to them"
| Prendergast strangled.
CHICAGO, July 14.-Patrick Eugene
Prendergast, the slayer of Mayor Car
ter Harrison, was hanged in the jail
1 nod 1,xo N,.sI 4