Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-11-15

trouble was maze PUBIC Yesterday.
The report which is signed by Federal
Labor Commissioner Carroll ID. Wright
and his fellow investigators, John ID.
Herman Of New York, and Nicholas
Il. Worthington, of Illinois, is address
ed TO President Cleveland and
abounds in passages which will at
tract wide attention, particularly that
portion referring to now famous Gen
eraI Managers association the organl-
cation OF high railway officials that
accomplished the memorable defeat of
the American Railway union.
The report says that the capitaliza-
ton Of twenty-four railroads, directly
represented In the General Managers
association, was 2,10S, $500 The
number Of employees was 221,097 The
report of the commission continues
"This voluntary Incorporated associa-
ton was formed In 1886 In its consti-
tuition the object OF the association is
stated to be the consideration of
problems OF management arising from
operations Of railroads terminating or
centering at Chicago 1t further pro-
yIdes that all funds needed shall be
raised by assessments divided equally
among Its MEMBERS There are to be
no limitations as 10 the consideration
OF problems or funds except at the
will of the managers and the resources
Of the roalroad corporations Until
June, 1894 the associations possibilities
as a strike fighter and a wage arbiter
of law were rather dormant. Its roads
fixed Chicago scale for swltchmen,
covering ALI roads in Chicago IN
March, 1894, switchmen demanded
more pay from each road, The asso-
citation concluded that the roads paid
enough; If anything too much The
roads so informed the men. The
switchmen's mutual aid association OF
North America wrote st John, as
chairman. acquiescing."
The report, after detailing the action
Of the association in establishing agen-
cies and employing men, adds: this
was the time when men on each line
were brought sharply face to face with
the fact that in question as TO wages
rules. etc, each line was supported by
twenty-four combined railroads, This
association likewise prepared for it's
use schedules OF wages paid upon the
entire lines of its twcnty-four mem
bers. The proposed object of these
schedules was that each road might
know what the other roads paid.
Finding that men upon some lines
urged an icrease to correspond with
wages paid elsewhere. the committee
of the association prepared and pre-
scented uniform schedule for all mem-
hership roads. 1t was deemed wis
not to act upon the report. 1t was
distributed to it's members In Noycm-
Der. 1909. This distribution alone EN-
abled the report to be used with effci-
ency as an equalizer. As a result,
during 1893 reduction were here and
there made on different roads, the
tendency and effort apparently being
to cqualize pay on all lines
Ii Is admitted that the action oS the
association has great weight with
outside lines, and this tends to estab-
fish one uniform scale throughout the
country. The further single step add
hitting lines not running into Chicago
TO membership would certainly have
had the effect OF combining all rail-
roads in wage contentious against all
employees thereon"
The commission questions whether
any legal authority. statutory or other
wise can be found to justify some fea-
lures OF the association which have
come to light in this investigation.
III we regard its practical workings
rather than its professions as eX-
pressed in its constitutions. the gen
eral managers association has no more
standing In the law than the old trunk
line pool. 1t cannot incorporate, be
cause railroads charters do not au-
thorize roads to form corporations or
associations TO fix rates for services
and wages nor 10 force their accept
ance nor 10 battle With strikers. 1t is
ursurpation Of power not to be
granted. If such an association Is nee
essary from Il business or al econom-
ie standpoint, the right to form and
maintain Il must come from the state
that granted its charter In theory
corporations are limited as to powers
granted either directly or by court In
reference We do not think power has
been granted in either way IN this
case. The association is an illustra-
ton Of persistent and shrewdly de-
yised plan of corporations 70 oyerreach
their limitations and ursurp indirectly
the powers and rights not contem-
plated In their charters and not OBJ
tainablc from the people or their legis-
lature The extension Of this assoeia.
ton as above suggested and the pro-
posed legal action Of pooling would
result in an aggregation Of power and
capital dangerous to the people and
their liberties as we'll as To employees
and their rights The question would
then certainly arise as to which shall
control the government or railroads
and the end would inevitably be gov
eminent ownership Unless we are
ready for that result and all that 1t
implies. the government must restrain
corporations within the law. and pre-