The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-28
PULLMAN ON The STAND.
He Appeared as a Witness Before the
Labor Commission.
HE TOLD OF THE GROWTH OF
HIS LITTLE KINGDOM.

The Effects of the Strike are Practically
Illustrated by the Statement of the
Bank That Collects the Rents of the
COmpany's Houses-From Back Rents
OF $4,000 the Accounts Rose to Over
$4,000 aud Savings of Years We're
Spent During the Strike.
Chicago, August 2?.-Edward f. BRYANT.
cashier. and manager of the Pullman Loan
andsSavings bank. was he.first witness be-
fore the National Labor Commission today.
1t was the business of the bank to stransact
ordinary banking business as well asscollect-
ing rents. He said all tie wages at Pull
man were paid in checks on the Pullman
bank. A man swas paid instwo checks one
for the amount Of the rent due, and one Tor
the remainder of his salary. 1t was not
obligatory on the employe to pay his rent.
The checks could abe cashedsonly on the
endorsement of thesperson to whom. they
were issued. Mr.. Bryant detailed.the statues
of the savings and the commercial deposits
at different times, lshowing the decrease
since the strike began.
The savings bank sdepositors were paid
per cent per annum, interest, and the
money largely invested in real estate mort.
cages on land in Pullman and vicinity. The
maximum savings deposits were Se77,-.
600. and the mtnimums366, 900. The witness
explained the banks method of collecting
rents. Pay checks were givensto each en-
ploye at the window of the bank on nay
days,and they were requested to pay part
of their rents. Many paid only 81 every two
weeks.during the hard times and manyspaid
nothing. The Accommodations of three or
four years were drawn out during the strike.
On May l, 1898, the hank ha d bills to the
amount of S3,S91 to collect from the en-
ployes. and one year later this amounted to
SaS,247. showing forcibly the difference
made by the cut in wages. August /, this
amount reached $58,773. These bills repre-
sented only those placed in theshands of
the bank for collection.
Rev. Charles H. Eaton of New York. an
nounced upon taking the stand that he
knew nothing before he came hereof the
conditions at Pu1lmn, except he read in the
papers. 1t is sbecause .ot the life and
interest in social and economic questions
I came here. l went personally to Pullman
into forty homes. There l found destitu-
tion not nearly as great as reported. l do
not think the question of destitution at
Pullman germane to the matter we are in
vestigating, said Judge Warrington. Well.
! thought, perhaps, it might show the 10; IL
agement OF the town has b cen good if at
this late day that few cases of destituton
existed. He was not allowed to testify
further concerning the destituiion, but gave
hissopinionthe only way to avoid the labor
di ffeIences, was to elevate the social on
dition of the workmen. He praised the lib
rary at Pullman as tending to do this.
George Pullman took the stand after re.
cess. He stated that the Pullman sPalace
with capital of S1,000,000. The town of
Pullman was established in $780, and the
plan was said he, reading from type writ
ten manuscript 10 establish community
for workingmen which would enable them
to live in harmonious relations with the
company. The relation of the Pullman
company are simply those of landlord
in regard to its employees, which it treats as
tenant A basis of profit Of per cent.per
annum which at that time was fair profit
on the investment, the cost of establishing
sheets and the improvements considered.
For making this calculation this does not
include the cost of the manufac turing
plant. The Pullman company didn'st sell
property within the limits of the town of
Pullman because the company didn't wish
Objectionable characteristic establish them
selves in the town. Thereswere tsin conse-
insPullman as might otherwise have been.