The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-11-22
THE STRIKE REPORT.

~
and Pullman boycott strike, which
has just been made public, was a
general surprise to the people OF
this country-working men and cap
italists. The impression had gained
general currency that the commits.
sion was %prejudiced in favor of the
railroad and Pullman companies and
1t was generally expected that
neither the general managers nor
the Pullman officers would be Sc
verely censured, says the st. Joseph
NeUs.
But the report went after the
General Managers Association rough
shod and It gave the officers OF
the Pullman company a scoring they
will not soon forget, At the same
time the commission pointed out
wherein the strikers were to blame
and displayed no particular fayorit-
ism for them in its recommended
tions.
The commission found that the
General Managers Association had
done a great many things which the
law gave it no power to do, and that
it has formed a combination against
It's employees which was anything but
profitable to the latter. 1t found
that the Pullman company had acted
IN this natter in a manner that was
well nigh barbarous and which
would have put to shame the most
miserly and grasping landlord OF
Great Britain.
The abuses practiced by the Pull.
man company at its ''model' town.
Pullman, Mere found TO be almost
beyond comprehension. 1t found
that the principal church in town,
to which the philanthropic officers
OF the Pullman company have at
tracted attention at every opportu-
NIFTY, was often not occupied be-
cause the rental was so high that no
church society was willing 10 pay it
to obtain the gospel privileges to be
thereby secured. 1t found that
membership in the model" library
cost - per annum, three times as
much as is eve charged for mem
bership in such institutions anywhere
IL
else on earth, and yet the Pullman
oi1cers say their men are accorded
privileges that no other mechanics
and laboring men i'll the world en-
joy.
The commission found further
tha6 the company provided and
paid a physician and urgeon by the
year to furnish to injured EMPLOYEES
necessary treatment and drugs. 1t
found, also, hat a part of his en-
ployment was to secure from the
injured party a written statement as
1t was his custom to urge the ac-
ceptance of any offered settlement.
If suit followed, the doctor was
usually a witness for the company.
The commission found that rents
IN Pullman We're from 20 to 25 Der
cent higher than in the city OF
Chicago, and that under no circum-
stances were employees permitted to
purchase real estate or homes i'm
the town. 1t found that the salaries
OF none OF the officers of the COM
pany, or it's superintendeuts and :
foremen, had been reduced when ,
tho general reductions of the shop a
employees were made. 1t found that =
there had been no reductions in the
extortionate rents. II found
the company's claim that t. NAT
men need not hire It's ..e work
could live elsewhe- and
not tenable. T le if they chose was
stand a 20. ~ so doing they would
III I'd show to be dropped
f : pay rolls. They found
rur ne attempt to keep the shops
ming at reduced wages and an
alleged loss was not so much out of
sympathy for the workmrn as was
made TO appear. 1t was desired to
keepthe shops running in order that
they might not go to decay and
that the field occupied by the com
pany might not be invaded by rivals
during the business depression.
The commission found that the
Pullman company had been guilty of
other m an things too numerous to
mention, but it justified the action
of the president in calling out
troops to assist in the moving of the
mail trains 'and to prevent the de-
struction of public and private prop
erty.
The commission recommends the
creation of a permanent United
States commission of three members
with powers to investigate disputes
between railways and their employees
and to compel the railroads to obey
the decisions of the commission.
That, whenever the parties to a
controversy in a matter within the
jurisdiction of the commission are
n or more railroads upon one
side and IL or more national
trades unions, Incorporated under
chapter 667 of the United States
statutes of 1SS5-S6 or under
state statutes, upon the other,
each side shall have the right to