Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-29

Dleu u statement SDOWUIb TIE iOSS VI WV
road during the strike to be 40 per cent
Of what the receipts are during an ordi-
nary year.
Observation-Disclosures John d. Besler,
of the Chicago, burlington and Quincy
road declared the property loss 10 DC
$4,000.
yICE-PRESIDENT WICKES.
vice-Presdent Wickes. of the Pullman
company. then took the stand. He was
cross-questioned by Chairman Wright
Can YOU tell me the average proht on
Puliman-car?'
"That depends on the state Of business.
We have to go into the field with other
companies. Sometimes the proht Is
per cent. sometimes and sometimes ~
per cent"
Mr.. Wickes said the company lost s'i.W
I'm trying TO give It's men work. during
the strike men contributed labor worth
SEQ 900. He thought perhaps as 1t has turned
out. the better business policy OF the COM
many would have been 10 grant the de-
mands of the men. but there was a prin-
oiple involved which he did not tnink
could be ignored II the demands had
been granted there might have been trou-
BILE in future years.
.Do YOU think 1t would have been a
good policy for the Pullman company TO
have SOlQ ltS employees iOnhtS'
II don't think 1t would have been wise
10 sell lots TO employees indiscriminately.
Evil influences would almost certainly
have crept in when the company lost con-
troll OF the land"
How many cars does the Pullman COM
pany operator"
about 1900 Many OF these cars are
living on side tracks deteriorating. hence
the s25.000.O0o surplus must be taken as
such only with this fact remembered. 1t
costs us nearly as much to keep the old
cars in repair as they earn"
WORLDS FAIR EFFECT.
The witness considered the Worlds Fair
as one of the causes of the strike. He
said the men were making very large
wages during the fair, "as we let them
do as much overtime as they pleased. i
suppose they found is very hard after the
PROSPEROUS times of the exposition year
10 come down to bedrock prices.
Has the Pullman company ever In
creased wages voluntarilyY'
1t has in the case OF some of the shop
men,"
"But not as regards any large body of
mem"
mo. SIR
Don't you think it would be a good
plan to increase the wages OF the men
in prosperous yearsT'
mo. | do not think that plan would
work well. 1t would have a tendency 10
slip-shod business methods. We go into
the market for our men just as we do
for materials. 1t is regulated by the law
of supply and demand"
Mr.. Wickcs thought that II the men at
Pullman had been let alone by outsiders
-, 10
however gave Vice-President Howard. OF
the American Railway Union credit fot
having advised the Pullman employees
not 10 strike. No orders for eviction had
been given out yet, although the en-
ployees owe the company 100000 for back
rent.
WAGE REDUCTION.
"Was a reduction of wages made every
time a contract was taken at loss py
the company .,
"No. sir; | do not think this is true"
"Who regulates the prices OF piece
work?"
THE foreman of our shops"
"Now. isn't II probable that the fore-
man can so reduce the price OF piece
work as to make up for the loss incurred
by the company in taking contracts peiow
| the estimated cost? =.
1T IS possible, but / do not thinK IL
has been done"
Have you taken any steps to correct
| this abuse?"
NO. sir'
"Why were not rents reduced when
| wages were cut!
| "The question of rents was an entreiy
| different one from the question OF wages
| ONLY about one third of our employees
| uyad In Pullman. We could not have
reduced the rents for the majority, VINO
| lived outside"
"The rents were not based on panic con-
| ditions. were they?'
| "They were not"
| "Then why, when the panic conditions
| came, would il not have been @dVisdDie
| to charge lower rates! a..
| "Tbere is no connection between the
| Pullman Car-Works and the town Oh
| Pullman. The men don't nave TO h'e
/ in Pullman unless they WISH Ihey car
move out without preJuuice on 'he par
| of the Company"
| Mr. Wickes said the company, as mat
| ter Of fact, did all the repairing. although
| the lease provided that the tenant shouiu
| do 1t.
Don't you think that making them sigr
| an agreement TO do this, whether en-
forced or not, is very unJust? was
| asked.
I'm not prepared to offer any opinion
on that"
| ARBITRATION.
"You don't recognize that there are
| any questions in regard TO wages tha'
can be properly arbitrated?"
II do not. i think all companies know
| what wages they can afford to pay"
what Is your policy as to unions?
| asked Mr.. Herman.
| 1--WE don't recognize the men as mem
bers Of unions. but as individuals
'Do you think the men would have ;
| fair chance with the company coming be
| fore 1t one at a time?"
"If they are not able to plead their owl
| case 1t Is their misfortune"
"You don't think, then. that the mel
have any right to organize for redress o
grievances?
| at the wages we offer they have the pri
y,ege OF going somewhere else"
The witness gave the capacity OF tn
| works as five cars a week In the passen
ger department and forty cars per day
in the freight-shops. He admitted tina
! be was present at one Of the genera
managers meetings, but took no par
Mr.. Wickes stated that few years az,
! Afr Pulman's salary was only $4,000
wear as president of the company. III
declined to state what 1t now Is. or wha
those OF the other general officers are
None OF them had been reduced during
the strike.
General Nelson A. Miles was called Z
the stand at the opening Of the afternoon
session. He denied that he was presen
AT any meeting of the general managers
or that he conferred with them In an.
| -. Ha denied making the remark at