The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-14

One of the most foolish strikes on
record and one which, if the threats OF
those now in charge of it are carried ont,
viii do much to destroy the organization
that will be responsible for the giving OF
the order, as well as seriously IN erfer-
ing with travel, is the strike OF the en-
ployes at Pullman.
Trouble has been brewing for some
time and the employees demanded raise
in wages, finally giving an ultimatum OF
a strike or yieldipg to their demands.
Mr.. Pullman discussed the case very
thoroughly with his men and said that
the wages could not be raised at present
as the works were being run at loss in
order 10 give the employees work. He
said that while he was willing to discuss
conditions with the employees, the mo-
ment they declared a strike the works
would shut down and the men
would not be considered further. He
said he was trying his best TO get work
| from all over the country, and that the
various companies which they had done
work for owed them something like
$5,0O0,OOO.
| He pointed ont that if the wages were
raised the company would close up the
present contracts and then shut down
until such time as work could be re-
sumed at profit. Mr.. Pullnan's state
ment to his men on these points is
worth reproducing as showing
the absolute folly of the pres
, ent strike at Pullman. He says:
AT the commencement of the very
serious depression flast year we were
employing at Pullman 5Sl6 men and
| paying out in wages there $3O5,OO0
, month. Negotiations that Were then
pending for new work were stopped,
orders were cancelled, and we were
| obliged to lay off, as you are aware, a
large number of men in every depart
ment, 80 that by the first of November,
1893. there were only about 1000 men in
all departments, or little over one
| third Of the normal number.
| canvassed the matter thoroughly
with the manager OF the works, and iu-
structed him to assure the men that the
company would do everything in its
power to meet competition, which was
sure TO occur because of the great num-
Der Of large car manufacturers that were
in the same condition, and that were
exceedingly anxious to keep their men
employed. | knew that II there was
any work to be let bids would be made
upon basis very much lower than ever
known before. The result of this dis
cussion was q revision in piece-work
prices, which / understood to be en-
tirely satisfactory to the men under the
circumstances.
Under these conditions, and with
lower prices upon all materials, per-
sonally undertook the work of attending
the letting of cars, and by making
lower bids than any other manufac-
| turers secured work enough to gradu-
ally increase our force from 2200 up to
| about 1900, which is the number at
| present employed.
This result has not been accomplished
merely by reduction in wages, but the
| company has born its full share by
| eliminating from its Estimates the
use of capital and machinery, and
in many cases going below that and
taking work at considerable loss,
notably the Long Island cars, which
was the first large order of passen-
ger cars left after the great depression,
and which was sought for by all the
carbuilders in the country. Ny anx-
iety to secure that order, so as to put as
many men to work as possible, was such
that Iput in bid at a very considerable
sum per car less than the actual cost to the
company. The stock cars built for the
Northwestern Road and the refrigerator
cars now under construction for the
same company will result in loss of at
least Sl2 per car, and the twenty-five
cars built for the Lake Street Elevated
Road show loss Of $40 per car.
/ mention these SO that you may un-
derstand what the company has done
for the mutual interest and to secure for
the people OF Pullman and vicinity the
benefit of disbursement of the large
amount of money involved in these and
similar contracts.
TO further benefit the people of Pull
man and vicinity we concentrated all
the work that we could command at
that point by closing our Detroit shops
entirely, laying of large number of
men at our other repair shops, and CIV
ing to Pullman the repair of all cars
that could be taken care of there.
Also for the further benefit of our
people at Pullman we have carried on
quite n large system of internal inipraYe-
ment, having expended nearly 800,
since August last in work there which,
under normal conditions, would have
been spread over one or two years. The
policy would be TO continue this class of
work TO as great an extent as possible,
provided of course the Pullmen men
show proper appreciation of the situa-
tion by doing whatever they can To help
a. II. A. n l. n.
which are being so seriously felt in every
part of the country.
The present pay roll at Pullman
amounts TO $1,000 day. At the present
time the car shops at Ohio Falls. Iud.,
Troy, N. Y, Michigan Peninsula, De-
troit. Springfield, Mass, and our own AT
Detroit are closed. The Wagner Com
pany year ago employed 2000 men;
today they are running with force of
| 200. and this will be cut to 500 Jure /.
Since our works began operations in
| 1881 we hava mid ont mora fba,, GOO