The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-09-01

| for entire months We ala not have an
I order for a car. / realized that unless some
thing was done there would be suffering
/ az Pullman. and after consultation
with Vice President Wickes determined to
make bids under the actual cost OF construc-
i tion. We did this, and / remember the first
order was for fifty-fve ears. 1 put IN a bid for
these ears az from $500 10 300 below the cost
a car. making up my mind 10 make this con-
/ tributlon rather than see my men idle. i be-
| lieyc many other ear builders Ia the country
| felt the same way. AS evidence OF this
/ the next lowest bid TO mine was only sei high
| ar than mine. ON another occasion bid for
! lot OF $50 cars az loss OF $40 on each car pre-
| ferring 20 do this rather than see the freight
shops closed / undcrbld the next com-
/ petitor only 81 car IL cost as
about $1,000 10 keep the men Ia work
as long as did ] explained all
this 20 Mr. Hcntheote the leader OF the strlk-
\ ers. who said 70 me We want tho wages 81
% ] informed him that was impossible;
i told him II would be most unfortunate thing
/ n the wages " % we're restored, that there
was only six or eight weeks work here az ~
was. and there was none IN sight az the rate on
which the wages Of g3 were based"
! lie admitted that the company taking tho
whole year through had made money. ana paid
/ its regular dividends which amounted 10
about y s000O0 In explaining why the CONF
/ pany chose 20 reduce wages while paying large
\ dividends Mr. Pullman said
L
from the business Of the shopping car company.
/ / SEQ no reason why should take the profits OF
/ the 4 200 stockholders In the Pullman Sleeping
Car company and pay men higher rate ot
wages than was paid IN other parts Of the
country for tho samo work, or than was paid by
other companies for the same work Because
we have been careful and accumulated SUR
/ plus do not see that ~ Is a reason We should
take the surplus now and pay IL out for ox-
ccpuonally high wages"
Concerning arbitration hc said; There are
| some matters that ARE proper subjects for ar
btratlon. such IS a disputed title. But thcro
are others thatare impossible OF arbitration.
/ cannot arbltrnte on a question whore ] know
the facts 90 be thus and So. The question as
70 whether our shops should continue 70 run
at loss Is q thing that could not be arbi-
trated
q why was II impossbloY" A. because
IL violates the principle lhut man has right
20 manage his own business"
I'VE make IL % condition of return TO work
that the member on the American Railway
union shall surrender his card. That IS the
only union We have ever Disseminated against
although i believe our men have belonged 20
other organizations II is the hXed policy az
the pullman company 20 retain no one con-
nected In any way with the American Railway
union.
Were rents reduced when wages went
DOWN asked Judge Worthiugton.
"Thcy we're not. so little income was COM
Ing from rents that We could not afford 20 re-
duce them further"
Were your wages and those Of the other
officers OF tho company reduced
They wore not"
why was tins not donai"
when MIR Pullman fully recovered from tho
eject OF the audaclty OF the questions he said
81 was not good policy 10 reduce the salaries OF
high o1icials. because men OF their caliber
were not easily replaced and would not stand
..Fa b
Losses occasioncd by the strike.
CHICAGO Aug SO-When the labor commits
| Sion assembled for Tuesdays session sey-
eral railroad onicials who had been SUM
moned 20 furnish statements 81 the losses
caused 20 various roads by the strike were
| heard. Summarized their statements show
! that the aggregate loss of the Chicago Alton
| road was SlhG-3CO the Lake shore, damage 20
] cars, 3,iSf; the Chicago q Eastern Illinois.
4 sl287 200, the Burlington. $4,000. the 81 Paul,
| $4,000. the Northwestern, SOP tpO3l Chica-
1 70 a Erie. sili5ssU. The same statement
showed a total loss OF wages TO employees OF
/ 1885 Q35.93
! Then Mr. wickcs took the stand. Questioned
/ by Chairman Wright he said that the cost
/ 90 the company OF building the cars
under contract az the time Of tho strike
was about sil0O.OO1 The labor would
cost about $4,000 The contracts were
taken on a basis Of reduction OF 20
|
labor would cost about $4,000. ON this basis
\ Mr.. Wright said that. according 20 the testi-
muuy Of Mr. Wickcs the company had contrib
utcd SEQ FOR the purpose OF securing these
4 contracts and Keeping the people employed
\ and the wage caruers 10000
The wages OF worimcn had been raised,
\ Mr. Wickcs said time and again whore
| there had been no request from the men. The
\ company officers were always ready 60 pay
every man for his skin, but, too, they were
/ entitled 90 just profits occurring from
/ the uso OF improved machinery. Witness
had been IN close touch with labor men for
i the past tWouty-siX years. He thought the
present principle 81 operation had worked adj
mlrnbly until last May. iu the works OF the
i Pullman company nt Wilmington and ut 50.
/ Louis there had never been any trouble 0f
any kind. He thought that ID there had
been no outside interference there thc men
/ would not have gone on strike, The company
was preparing an Investigation and a state
/ memt oi its actual condition 10 set before the
men when the strike was called That state
4 mcnt would have been Identical With the one
I given Id evidence before the commission,
The subject OF arbitration and the Pullman
\ compauys refusal 60 arbitratc with its for
mer employees was taken up lV Commissioner
/ Herman. The witness thought that the quos-
ton % wages could not bee submitted TO arbi-
traNion. An employer knew what he could
I AFFORD 10 pay for the work needed aud
that was fixed amount IL could vary only
/ as profits 10 the manufacturer change The
\ Pullman company had never objected TO
] unions except iu ono Instance The objection
\ 20 The American Railway union was that the
7 company would not treat with IFS men through
ans union itwould treat With thom individual
+ IS only.
Gen. Nelson = Miles took The stand when
\ the commission met after luncheon. III an
swcr to questions he said HIS occupation
was major general 81 the United states
army. RE donlcd fatty tho story that on his
arrival here from Washington he had 40 once
i consulted with the general managers. on
July = when this conference Was said 20
have taken place, he was in Washington.
and hc arrived here on july = Asked 10
"a was true that he had declared he had
\ broken the backbone OF the strike. tho gene
eral said this vas not quite exact what
he said was that he had broken tho back
bone % tho opposition % the federal troops.
Tho commissioners waited % know n the
troops forced railroad men 60 work 40 the
point ~ The bay0net. Gen Miles said that
while this might have happened ia some in-
stances. he had not been aware 10 10 and had
issued no orders to that eject lie said 40