Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1894-11-16
FAVORABLE TOLABOR
REPORT OF THE STRIKE COMMISSION
ToTHE PRESIDENT.


Up in an Uunccmplimentary Way, While
the Pullman Company Is Scored For Its
Unfair Treatment of Employees.
CHICAGO, Nov. l3.-The United
States government report on the grs at
railway strike in connection with the
Pullman trouble was made public dur
ing the day. The report, which is
signed by the federal labor commits
sioner, Carroll D. Wright, and his fel-
low Investigators. John D. Herman Of
New York and Nicholas E. Worthing-
ton of Illinois, is addressed to President
Cleveland and abounds in passages
which will attract wide attention, par
ticularly the portion referring to the
now famous General Managers asso-
ciation," the organization of high
railway officials that encompassed the
memorable defeat of the American
Railway Union.
The report says the capitalization of
the "a railroads directly represented
in the General Managers association
was $2,10S, ,552,Gl7. The number of
employees was 222,C9?. The commits
sion continues:
As n Strike Fighter.
This voluntary unincorporated asso-
citation was formed in 1856. but until
June, 1894, the associations possibili-
ties as strike fighter and wage arbi-
traitor lay rather dormant. Its roads
fixed a "Chicago scale" for switchmen,
covering all lines at Chicago. In
March, 1898, the switchmen demanded
more pay from each road. The asso.
citation concluded that they were paid
enough-if anything, too much. The
roads so informed the men. The
Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association
of North America wrote to Mr.. st.
John, as chairman, acquiescing. He,
as chairman of the General Managers
association, concluded his reply as fol-
lows:
"The association approves the course
taken by your body and desires to deal
fairly with all employees, and believes
that our switchmen are receiving due
consideration.
Working for n Combine.
This seems to show, the report says,
that employees upon association roads
are treated as under subsection to the
General Managers association, and the
General Managers association. The
commission says that the General Man.
ayers association has no legal standing,
and that it has usurped powers not
granted by the charters of the roads,
1t also says that the government should
interfere. An extension of this assoc;-
alton and the proposed legalization of
"pooling" would result in all aggrega-
ton Of power and capital dangerous to
the people and their liberties as we'll
IS to employees and their rights. The
question would then certainly arise as
to which shall control, the government
or the railroads, and the end would in
evitably be government ownership.
Unless ready for that result and all
that it implies, the government must
restrain corporations within the law,
and prevent them from forming unlaw.
full and dangerous combinations.
A Roast For Pullman.
Taking up the subject Of the Pullman
Palace Car company the report says:
This is corporation organized in
1867, with capital of $1,OOOOOO. 1t
has grown until its present Paid up
capital is $50, 100000 Its property has
enabled the company for over 80 years
to pay 2 per cent quarterly dividends,
and, in addition, to lay up surplus of
nearly s25, 100000 of undivided profits.
Speaking of the town of Pullman, of
which the report states the company is
owner and landlord, the commission
says: The principal church and its
parsonage are very attractive structures,
but often are not occupied because the
rental required is higher than any
church society is willing to ray to OBJ
tain the gospel privileges to be thereby
secured.
AS result of the Pullman system
| and its growth, when the depression of
1893 came, morally calling for mutual
concessions as to wages rents, etc., we
find Oh the cne hand very
Wealthy and Unyielding Corporation
and upon the other multitude of en-
ployes of comparatively excellent char.
acter and skill, but without local at
tachments or any interested RESPONSE
bility in the town, its business tene-
ments or surroundings.
Some witnesses swear that at times,
for tie work done in two weeks, they
received in checks from 40 cents to 81
over and above their rent. The com.
pany has not produced its checks in re-
buttal.
No Reduction in Officers Salaries.
During all Of this reduction and its
attendant suffering none of the salaries
of the officers. managers CT superin.
tendents were reduced. Reductions in
these would not have been so severely
felt, would have shown gocd faith,
would have relieved the harsAness OF
the situation and would have evinced