Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-14

and the average holding OF each stock
holder is now eighty-aix shares, one
htth OF them holding less than six
slmres cacn
is plainly not subject OF arbitration?
is II not then reasonable that the COM
pany should be asked 10 nrbitrate
whether or not is should submit such
a question to arbitration Removing
the original and fundamental question
one stage, does not help the matter;
the question would stlil remain: Can I.
as business man knowing the truth
of the fact which ] have stated bind
myself that | viii in any contingency
open and operate the Pullman Cur
shops at n loss. II II should happen
10 be the opinion OF a third party TINT
l should do SOP The answer seems to
be plain. The public shonld not permit
the real question which has been be-
fore II TO be ohscured. The question
was as to the possibility OF the crea-
ton and duration oe dictatorship
which could make all the industries
OF the United States and the daily
comfort OF the millions dependent upon
them, hostages for the granting of any
fantastic within OF such n dictator.
ANY submission 10 him would have
been a long step in that direction and
'i hidffiHrI
citizen OF the United States was not
TO be considered for a moment.
IN few words are pertinent as to
against the company. One of the
charges IS thfs ronts nre pvhorhitnnt
and II Is implied that the Pullman em-
ployes have no choice but to submit.
Tho answer s. simple: TNa AVERAGE
-ental of tenements at Pullman Is Mt
D., rate or 50 per room per month
Hss .he renting of houses at Pullman
y. no relation to the work in the
ops. Employees may, and very many
%, own or rent their houses outside
OF the town, and the buildings and
business places In the town are rented
10 employees or to others In competition
with neighboring properties. In short
the renting business OF the Pullman
company is governed by the same con-
ditlons which govern any other large
owner OF real estate except that the
company Itself does directly some
things which in Chicago are assumed
by the city.
IN this condition of things came the
agitation seeking to create Il labor
organization embracing all railway
employees and apparently other indus
tries.
at is my belief that the controversy
excited at Pullman was merely a move
In the greater scheme, these shops
being selected not on account of the
discomfort in them, but because OF
their promise in various ways and
because OF the chance OF II show of
justification for simultaneous es-
capeless attack upon the railroads of
the country for the use of long time
contracts by three-fourths of them of
the Pullman sleeping car system. a
branch of the cCmpany's business to-
tally distinct from its manufacture of
cars for sale. In the early part OF
May a committee of employees de-
manded restoration OF the wages OF
a year ago. / explained TO this COM
mittee infinitely and laboriously the
facts, showing the company was al
ready paying more than II was receiv-
ing for Its contract work, and / Of
fefcd them, for complete assurance, to
end the question, an inspection OF
our books and contracts In hand. This
and the beginning at once at Pullman
of "A promised careful investigation of
number of shop complaints seemed
to end all the trouble, but day later,
under the excitement OF the recruiting
in the new organisation, the work
men closed the shops by abandoning
their work. thus themselves doing
what l was strenuously trying to pre-
vent DelnB uone by the depression OF
the car building business and the cm-
ployes who quit their work have de-
prived themselves and their compan-
Ions of earnings OF more than 100000
up to this time. The demand made be-
fore quitting work was that the wages
should be restored TO the scale OF last
year, or in effect that the outgoing
money losses being daily incurred by
the company in car building should
be deliberately increased 10 an amount
equal to about one-fourth Of the wages
of the employees. II must be clear to
every business man and to every
thinking man that no prudent employer
could afford TO submit to arbitration
the question OF whether he should COM
nit such n piece of business folly. Ar
bitration always implies acquiescence
In the decision of the arbitrator, wheth-
or favorable or adverse. How could /,
as president of the Pullman company,
consent to agree that II any body OF
men not concerned with the interests
of the company's shareholders should
act as arbitrators for any reason SEEM
ing good TO them to so decree, | would
open the shops. employ workmen at
wages greater than their work could
be sold for and continue this ruinous
policy indefinitely or be accused of a
breach OF faith?
WAITING FOR a REPLY.