The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-14

CHICAGO. Nov. 12.-The United States
government report on the great railway
strike in connection with the Pullman
trouble was made pubic today. The re-
port, which is signed by the federal labor
commissioner. Carroll d. Wright, and his
fellow investigators, John d. Herman OF
New York and %icho.as 3. WorthingtOn
of Illinois. IS addressed TO President
Cleveland and abouIJs in passages which
will attract wide attention, particularly
the portion referring To the now famous
General maragers' association the or
ganizatiou Of high railway officials that
encompassed the memora able defeat of the
American railway union. The report says
the capitalization Of the twenty-foUr rail-
roads directly represented in the General
managers association was $2,l0S 552,6l1.
The number Of employees was POI, ,097. The
commission continues:
This voluntary uninc0rp0rated asso-
ciation was formed IN 1885 Ia its consti-
tuition the object of the association
Is stated 10 be the consideration Of prob
lens Of Management arising from the
operation OF railroads terminating or CEN
tering at Chicago' II further provides
that all funds needed shall be raised by
assessment divided equa.y among the
members There are no limitations as
to consideration Of problems or funds
except the WI OF the managers and the
resources Of the railroad corporations.
Until June. 1S94. the associations pos
sibi,ftles as a strike fighter and wage
arbitOr lay rather dormant. Its roads
fixed a Chicago scale for switchmen.
covering al lines at Chicago. In March,
1899, the swi,chmen demanded more pay
from each road. The association con-
cluded that they We're paid enough-if any
thing too much. The roads 50 informed
the men, The Switchmen's mutual aid
association Of North America wrote to Mr..
st. John as chairman acqu.escing He,
as chairman Of the Genera. managers as
sociation. concluded mis- rep,y as follows:
g The association approves the course
taken by your body and desires to deal
fairly with all employees and believes that
our switchmen are receiving due consider
alton
Combine of Twenty-FOur Roads.
''Thls seems to show" tina report says.
''that employees upon association roads are
treated as under subiection to the General
managers association" and the report af-
ter detailing the action Of the association
in establishing agl lncies and employing
men adds:
This was the first time when men
upon each line We're brought sharply face
to face with the fact that In questions as
20 wages, rules, etc. each line was sup
ported by twsnty-f0ur combined railroads.
This association likewise prepared for its
use elaborate schedules Of the wages paid
upon the entire lines Of It's twenty-fOur
members. The proposed object Of the
schedules was TO let each road know what
other roads paid. Finding that the men
upon some Ines urged Increase to cor
respond with wages paid elsewhere, a
COMMITTEES Of the association prepared and
presented 2 uniform schedule for al men,
berShip roads IT was deemed wise not
70 act upon the report. IL was distributed
10 members in November. 1893. This dis
tribution alone enabled the report to De
used with efficiency as an equalizer As
the result during lS93-it being then wei
understood as TO wages. etc, * was an
incident Of the General managers assO-
cation to assist each road in case Of
trouble over such matters, one form of
assistance being for the association TO Sc
cure men enough through It's agencies to
take the places Of al strikers. Reductions
were here and there made on the different
roads, the tendency and effort apparently
being to equalZe the pay On al lines
II is admitted that the action OF the asso-
citation has great weight with outside lines
and thus tends TO establish one uniform
scale throughout the country. The fur
ther single step Of admitting lines not
running into Chicago to membership
would certainly have the effect Of COM
bining al railroads in wage contentious
againse al emp-oyes thereon.
UsurpatiOn of Power.
''The commission questions whether any
legal authority, statutory or otherwise can
be found to justify some of the features
of the association which have come to
light in this investigation. If we regard
is practical workings rather than its pro-
fesslons as EXPRESSED in its constitution.
the General managers association has no
more standing in law than the old trunk
line pool Il cannot incorporate, because
railroad charters do not authorize roads to
form corporations or aSsOciatins, 10 fix
rates for services and wages. nor to force
their acceptance, nor to battle with strik-
ers. IL is usurpation OF power not
granted. II such an association Is neces-
sary from a business or economic stand
point, the right 10 form and maintain It
must come from the state that granted
its charter. In theory, corporations are
limited TO the powers granted either d.