The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-11-24
Report Of the Commission Ap-
pointed by President Cleveland
An Arrangement of the Pullman Com
pany and the Railway Managers
Their Refusal to Arbitrate
Caused the Trouble.
Organization Of the Railway Association
Contrary to Law and a Menace to Lai'or
Pullman MethodsaDenounced-Ar-
gument for UniOnism.

rO0Q SITlhe III COuLCSIlOh al hiA
man trouble was made public to-day.
The report, which is signed by the fed
eral labor committee, Carroll ID. Wright
and his ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS John d.
Herman, of New York, and Nicholas B.
Wor.hington, of Illinois, is addressed
to President Cleveland, and abounds in
passages which will attract wide atten-
ton, particularly the portion referring
to the now famous General Managers
association" the organization of high
railway officials that encompassed the
memorable defeat of the American Rail-
way union.
The report says the capitalization of
the t~wenty-four railroads directly rep
resented in the General Managers asso-
citation was s., los, $50, CIT. The number
of employees was 221, O97. The commits
sion continues:
This voluntary unincorporated association
was formed in 1886. In its constitution the OBJ
ject OF the association is said to be the consid-
GRAFTON of problems of management arising
from the operation Of railroads terminating or
centering at Chicago 1t further provides that
all funds needed shall be raised by an assess
ment divided equally among the members.
There are no limitations as to consideration OF
problems or funds except the will of the man.
ayers and the resources of the railroad corpora
lions.
FIXED THE SCALE.
Until June, 1894. the associations possibili-
ties as q strike-fighter and wage arbiter lay
rather dormant. Its roads fixed a Chicago
scale for switchmen, covering all lines at Chi
Cago. In March, 1893. the Switchmen demand
ed more pay from each road. The association
concluded that they were paid enough: If any,
thing, too much. The roads so informed the
men. The Switchmen'S Mutual AID ASSocia-
tion Of North America wrote to Mr.. st. John. as
chairman, acquieScing. He, as chairman of the
General Managers association, concluded his
reply as follows.
by your body and desires to deal fairly with all
employees, and believes that our switchmen are
receiving due consideration
"This seems to show, the report says, that
employees upon association roads are treated
as under subsection to the General Managers
association" and the report, after detailing
the action OF the association in establishing
agencies and employing men, adds:
This was the first time when men upon each
line were brought sharply face 10 face with the
fact that in questions as to wages, rules. etc,
each line was supported by twenty-four COM
bined railroads. This association likewise
prepared for its use elaborate schedules of
wages paid upon the entire lines of its twenty.
four members. The proposed object of these
schedules was to let each road know what
other roads paid. Finding that the men
upon some lines uTEpu llCTt1Se 10 correspond
with wages paid elsewhere, a committee OF the
association prepared and presented a uniform
schedule for all membership roads. It was
deemed wise not to act upon the report. 1t
was distributed to members in November,
1893. This distribution alone enabled the re-
port to be used with efficiency as an equal
izcr.' AS the result, during 1293-it being then
well understood that as to wages, ETC., 1t was
an incident of the General Managers associa-
tion, to assist each road IN case Of trouble
over such matters, one form of assistance be-
fnp fnr thn nGGnoinfinn m CaRnra Tann nnnttr1
through its agencies to take the places of all
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. were here and there made
on the different roads, the tendency and effort
apparently being to equalize the pay on all
lines.
OF POWER.
at is admitted that the action of the associa-
ton has great weight with outside lines, and
thus tends to establish one uniform scale
step Of admitting lines not running into Chi
cago to membership would certainly have the
effect of combining all railroads in wage con-
~ventions against all employees thereon.
1.-The commission questions whether any le-
gal authority. statutory or otherwise. can be
found TO justify the features Of the association
which have come to light in the investigation. II
we regard its practical workings, rather than
its professions, as expressed in its conStitu-
tion, the General Managers association has no
more standing in law than'the old trunk line
pool. 1t can not incorporate, because railroad
charters do not authorize roads to form corpo-
rations or associations. to fix rates for services
and wages, nor to force their acceptance not to
battle with strikers. 1t Is usurpation of power
not granted. II such an association is neces-
Sary from q business or economic standpoint,
the right to form and maintain it must come
from the state that granted its charter. In
theory, corporations are limited to the powers
granted either directly or by clear inference.
We do not think the power has been granted
In either way in this case. The association is
an illustration of the persistent and shrewdly-
devised plan Of corporations to overreach
their limitations. and to usurp indi-
rectly powers and rights not contemplated in
their charters and not obtainable from the
people or their legislatures. As extension Of
this association, as above suggested. and the
proposed Equalization of pooling would re-
suit in an aggregation of power and capital
dangerous to the people and their liberties. as
well as to employees and their rights. The
question would then certainly arise as to which
shall control. the government or the railroads.
And the end would inevitably be government
ownership. Unless ready for that result and
all 1t implies, the government must restrain
corporations within the law, and prevent
them from forming Unlawful and dangerous
combinations. At least, so long as railroads
arc thus permitted to combine to fix wages.and
for their joint protection. 1t would be rank in
justice to deny the right of all labor upon rail-
roads to unite for similar purposes.
1T should be noted that until the railroads
set the example a general union OF railroad
employees was never attempted. The unions
had not gone beyond e~nlisting the
men upon different systems in separate
trade organizations. These neutralize and
CHECK cuCu OlleT 70 SOUlt tAltul. anu have uO
such scope or capacity for good or evil as is
possible under the universal combination idea
inaugurated by the railroads and followed by
the American Railway union The refusal Of
and deal with such q combination OF labor as
the American Railway union seems arrogant
and absurd when you consider its standing be-
fore the law. its assumptions and its past. and
obviously contemplated future action"
THE PULLMAN COMPANY.
Taking up the subject Of the Pullman Palace
Car Co., the report says: This is q corpora
tion organized in 1867, with a capital of 81 ,0O0,-
OOO. It has grown until its present paid-up
capital is S35. 900, 900. Its prosperity has en-
abled the company for over twenty years to
pay 20 per cent. quarterly dividends, and in
addition to lay up a surplus OF nearly S5,00O,0O0
OF undivided profits"
Speaking Of the town of Pullman, of which
the report states the company is owner and
landlord. the commission says:
The principal church and its parsonage are
very attractive structures. but often are unoc-
cup:ed, because the rental required is higher
than any society Is willing tc pay to obtain the
Gospel privileges to be thereby secured. In
the arcade is q tasteful library Of books, care
fully selected and cared for by the company.
Three dollars per year Is charged for its use.
and as many as go persons o year, out Of from
1900 to 5000 employees and residents. have at
times, as stated by the nbrariers in charge,
availed themselves Of its opportunities. It is
possible that the air of business strictly main
tanned there. as elsewhere. and their exclusion
from any part of its management, prevent uni
versal and grateful acceptance OF its ad-
Santages by employees. Men as u rule, even
when employees, prefer independence to pater-
naliSm in such matters.
The company provides and pays q physician
and surgeon by the year to furnish to Injured
employees necessary treatment and drugs II
is. however, also u part OF his employment TO
secure from the injured party q written
-Stat omeut rs to the causes OF Uiury,