The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-14
RAILROADS DEFENDED.
4 REPLY TO THE REPORT or THk
STRIKE COMMISSION.
Errors Fingrapt aud g. exeussb Pointed
Out Which. II IL thareed. W l. ar t"'
dice Labor Against Cspi'sl.

CHICAGO, Nov. l3.-The editor OF the
Railway Age to-day gave out for pubii-
cation an open letter addressed to tho
members OF the strike committee. whose
report on the cause and conditions OK
the American Railway Union strike last
summer was given out yesterday. Inc
letter is criticism OF the report TO
correct any oversight or misstatements
of facts"
Quoting the paragraph In the commits,
sion's report which says fhat II snouu
be noted that until the railroads set
the example, general nnion ot fah-
road employees was never attempted, the
editors of the Age say
IRE sTArEMLSr DENIED.
''1'hts statement is wholly false. The
history OF railway labor ORGANIZATIONS
for the last twenty years Ia largely maue
up OF what your report says was never
attempted. Again and again has al
lied labor on several roads been called
on TO enforce the demand or one class
OF labor against one company. The is-
nOrance of this fact, and the further
fact that It was the repeated experience
ways TO unite also In self-defence, ~
to any one at all familiar with the ms.
tory of labor. almost incompfehensipie,
The statement OF the commission that
averaged about 70 per cent is pronounced
untrue. The average reduction III vases
for all shop employees was lo per cent?
says the letter.
contract, which shows return OF TWO
cents mile, was mlsintefpreted py tue
commission as there are excepuons 10
this rate Of payment
On the question OF high rents at Pull
man, Il is denied that the company aims
TO secure d per cent. on the investment,
and that ever since the houses were
built. In 1881, the Income has not exceeded
ila per cent.
violence or destruction OF property by
strikers or sympathizers took place at
Pullman, and that until july ia no eA-
traordinary protection was had from
the police or military against even an
ticipated disorder, are contradicted. The
omission in the report OF the fact that
22l guards OF the Pullman Company
were in service before the end OF June
Is commented upon, and the assertion is
mace that when the military was put
into the field they were used at Pullman
longer than at any other place. The
letter closes as follows:
''ERRoRs APPARENT ENOUGH"
These errors Of fact In your report
range all the way from the Inaccurate
quotation Of comparatively trivial figures
TO false geneTalzations as 10 the Mhoie
scope and essence OF the trouble There
are many minor points In your report,
of which criticism and correction woull
be easy. 1T would be equally easy 70
plllory the cheap levity with which you
treat the educational institutions and
the aesthetic and sanitary features OF
Pullman But these thngs-errors or
taste or fallacies In theory-will be ap-
parent enough to the general readers.
and viii receive their proper treatment
from the frank critic Of the daily press.
The curious accident that these mis-
statements OF fact are all on the same
side-all tending to throw dIscredit upon
the corporations and 10 Increase the bit
terness OF the laboring classes against
capital--is an accident from which we
prefer TO draw no differences. one con-
cIusion only would We draw, which ".
that no matter on which side your errors
are. the mere existence Of such errors
alone sufices 10 make your honorable
report entirely worthless and discrefft-
able as a public -discredtahle
alike to yourselves and TO the country"