The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-16
PULLMAN'SS SIDE.
HIS COMPANY HAS BEEN LOSING
MONEY, HE SAYS.
HAS A PAYROLL OF $1,000 A DAY.
That is, In Flush Times When the Works are
Busy-DepressiOn Cut Off the Orders.
Cars Built at u Loss to Give Work.

Chicago, July u.-Mayor Hopkins, Mayor
Pingree, of Detroit, and Erskine NJ Phelps
of Chicago. had two hours conference
This evening with Vice President Wickes
General Solicitor Runnels and General Man.
ager Brown, of the Pullman company, at
Mr. Wickes's office.
Mayor Pingree'S kilograms urging arbitra-
ton were presented and strongly urged.
The conference held bchind closed
doors, the Pullman officials promising to give
a verbatim report of it to the newspapers
The report was given out by them as fol-
lows:
Mayor Pingree, of Detroit, accompanied
by Mayor Hopkins and Mr.. Erslxine NJ
Phelps OF Chicago, called at the Pullman
ofices and submitted to the officials of the
Pullman company the kilograms Mayor Pin
gree had received from the mayors of other
cities upon the question of arbitration
Thereupcn followed a protracted friendly
discussion of the matter, in which the o.
ficers of the Pullman company set out fully
their reasons for believing that the question
at issue, which was simply the reopening
of the works and carrying them on at
ruinous loss, was not a proper subJed Tor
arbitration"
Mayor Hopkins, after the conference,
would only say: eve are just where we were
before we welt Let them do the talking.
At labor HEADQUARTERS tonight it was an
nounced that the following unions had
struck: Painters 1000 men; machine WOOD
workers. 500; planning mill hands ooo; SILVER
elders $40; carriage and wagon makers,
zoo II is expected the labor men say that
1000 moulders will strike in the morning.
The Pullman side of the case was present.
nd about as follows:
First of the Trouble.
In the first week of May last there were
enDloved in the car manufacturing depart
nent at Pullman ILL.,, about 6.l0o persons
Nav 18th a committee of Workmen hao an
interview by arrangement, with Mr.
yvickes the vice president, at which the
principaI subject of discussion related to
wages but minor grievances as to shop ad-
,oinistrafion were also presented, and it
was agreed that another meeting shoud
be held May 9Th, at which all the Grlev-
ances should be presented in writing. Inc
second meeting was held. AS to the COM
piaints on all matters, except wages 1t was
arranged that q formal and thorough inves-
tigation should be made by Mr.. Wickes, to
be begun the next day. and full redress was
assured to the committee as 10 all COM
plants proved to be well founded
The absolute necessity of the last reduc-
ton in wages, under the existing condition
of the business of car manufacturing, mad
been explained to the committee, and they
We're insisting upon restoration OF the
wage scale of the first half of 1893, when
Mr. Pullman entered the room and ad-
dressed the committee, speaking in sub
stance as follows:
eat the commencement of the very seri-
GUS depression last year were employing
at Pullman 1916 men, and paying out in
wages there $313,0O0 a month NegOtia-
tons with intending purchasers of railway
equipment that We're then pending for new
work We're stopped by them. orders al
ready given by others We're Cancelled, and
we were obliged to lay off, as you are
aware, a large number of men in every de-
partment, so that by November l. 1898, there
were only about 1900 men in all depart
ments or about one-third OF the normal
number. | realized the necessity for the
most strenuous eXertions to procure work
Immediately. without which there would
be great embarrassment, not only to the
employees and their families at Pullman,
but also to those living in the immediate
vicinity, including between 700 and 500 en-
ployes who had purchased homes, and to
Wnom employment was actually necessary
10 enable them TO complete their payments.
He Secured Work.
Il canvassed the matter thorougbIv with
he manager of the works and instructed
him to cause the men to be assured that
the company would do everything in it's
power to meet the competition which was
sure 10 occur because of the great number
OF large car manufacturers that were in
the same condition and were exceedingly
anxious to keep their men employed |
knew that if there was any work to be
let. bids for it would be let upon a much
lower basis than ever before" (Note-The
selling prices of passenger, baggage, box
refrigerator and street care have in the
last two years fallen by percentages vary
ing in the separate classes from II to %
the average reduction, taking the five
classes together being p per cent? The
result OF this discussion was Il revision in
pelce work >priccS, which, in the absence
of any information to the contrary. | sup
posed 10 be acceptable to the men under
the circumstances. Under these conditions
and with lower prices upon ali materials, [
personally undertook the work of the
letting OF cars, and by making lower bids
than other manufacturers | secured work
enough to gradually increase our force from
2,230 1920. the number employed accord
ing to the April payroll in ali capacities at
Pullman.
This result has not been ACCOMPLISHED
merely by reduction in wages but the COM
pany has borne its full share by eliminating
from its estimates the use of capital and
machinery, and in many cases going even
below that and taking work at considera BILE
loss, notably the thrty-five Long Island
cars, which was the first large order of pas
senger cars let since the great depression
and which was sought for by practically all
the leading carbulders in the country NV
anxiety TO secure that order so as to put
as many at work as possible, was such
that / put in d bid at more than $500 per
car less than the actual cost to the COM
pany. The 800 stock bult for the
Northwestern road and the 250 refrigerator
cars now under construction for the same
company will result in q loss of at least
81 per car, and twenty-five cars just built
for the Lake street elevated road show a
loss of $79 per car. l mention these par
ticulars so that you may understand what
the company has done for the mutual in
terest and to. secure for the people at Pull
man and vicinity the benefit of the dis
bursement of the large sums of money iD-
VOWED in these and similar contracts, which
can be kept up only by the procurement of
new orders for cars for you know,
about three-fourths of the must de-
pend upon contract work for employment.
can only assure you that if this company
now restores the wages of the first half of
1915, as you have asked, it would be a
most unfortunate thing for the men, be-
cause there are no less than sixty days of
contract work in sight in the shops under
I'll orders, and there is absolutely no posi-
sGeOOG C CD Cd G 9 g GO
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