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


legislatures. An extension OF this asso-
ciation as above suggested, and the pro
posed legalization Of pooling would re-
suit in an aggregation Of power and capi-
tai dangerous to the people ana tnelr
liberties as we'll as to employees and their
rights The question would then certainly
arise as 10 which shall control, the gov
ernmsnt or the railroads, and the end
would inevitably be government owner,
ship. Unless ready for that result ana all
that It implies the government must re-
strain corporations within the law, and
prevent them from ironing unlawful ana
dangerous combinations. At least, 50 long
as railroads are thus permitted TO COM
bine 10 fix wages and for their JOINT pr
lection 1t would be rank injustice to deny
the right of all labor upon railroads 10
unite for similar purposes.
1T should be noted that unul the
railroads set the example gen
eraI union OF railroad employees
was never attempted. The unions
had not gone beyond enlisting the
men upon different systems in separate
trade organizations. These neutrallze ana
check each other to some extent and have
no such scope or capacity for good or evil
as Is possible under the universal COM
bination idea inaugurated by the railroads
and followed by the American railway
union. The rksusal Of the General man.
with such a combination of labor as the
American railway union seems arrogant
and absurd when we consider it's stand
ing before the law. its assumptions and
its past and obviously contemplated
future action"
The Pullman Company.
Taking up the subject Of the Pullman
palace car company, the report says:
This is a corporation organized in 1867,
tn a capital stock Of s1,O00OOO 1t has
jwn until Its present paid-up capital
l. $4,000, ,000 Its prosperity has enabled
the company for over twenty years to pay
. per cent. quarterly dividends, and in
addition to lay up surplus or nearly
So. 900 600 Of undivided profits"
: Speaking Of the town Of Pullman, of
which the reports states the company is
owner and landl) ord, the commission says:
THE principal church and its par
! sonage are very attractive structures, but
/ often are not occupied because the rental
required is higher than any church So
| ciety is willing to pay to obtain the gos-
/ pei privileges to be thereby secured. In
/ the arcade is a tasteful library Of books,
carefully selected and cared for by the
COMPANY Three dollars per year is
charged for its use and as many as 25O
persons a year out of from four to five
thousand employees and residents have ut
times. as stated by the Librarian in
( charge. availed themselves of its Oppor-
tunities. Ii is possible that the air Of
business strictly maintained there, as
/ elsewhere. and their exclusion from any
part in its management, prevent more
universal and grateful. acceptance of its
I advantages 10y employees. Men. as rule,
/ even when employed, prefer independence
7 to paternaism in such matters. The
; company pays a physician and surgeon
by the year TO furnish to injured en-
J plOyeS necessary treatment and drugs.
( II Is. however, also part OF his employ
/ ment to secure from the injured party
/ written statement as to the causes of in
s. /, "a. Hre f1na
! ceptance of any offered settlement If
| suit foGOws the doctor is usually a wit
ness for the company. We have no evil
/ dence that the doctor has ever. ahrged
his COnfidential relation toward the in
! tured employees but the system is ad-
I point 10 secure speedy settlement Of
/ claims for damages upon terms offered
/ and to prevent the company from litiga-
/ tiOn and its results.
No Sympathy for Labor.
"As the result of the Pullman system
| and its growth when the depression Of
/ 1898 came. morally calling for mutual
| concessions as to wages, rents, etc, We
/ find on one side a very wealthy cor
pOratiOn and upon the other a multitude
/ of employees of comparatively excellent
/ character and skill. but without local at
4 tachments any interested responsible
/ ity in the town, its business, tenements
! or surroundings The conditions created
/ at Pu..man enable the management at
/ al times 10 assert with great vigOr its
assumed right to fix wages and rents,
/ absolutely. and % represS that sort Of
/ independence which leads to labor or
/ CARNATIONS and their attempts at media
/ ton. arbitration, strikes, cts. On the
/ other hand, it is an economic principle
generally recognized that the shutting
down Of such plant and the scattering
or its forces usually result in a greater
.oss than that exhibited by the continu-
/ ance Of business. The Pullman COM
I pany could hardly shut down for seven
! ard half months at a cost and loss of
/ less than 1 per cent upon its capita. and
surplus. To continue running was for its
/ obvious and unfair advantage So long as
it could divide losses equally with its
labor. The men at Pullman claim that
3 the company, during 1884 set the mace
through experts, so that with their forced
E loss Of time an average man could earn
little more than the rent Of his home
/ owned by the company. The company
alleges that it Simply readjusted piece
work prices TO suit the necessities Of the
times. Some witnesses swear that at
times. for the work done in two weeks
they received in checks from 4 cents to
81 over and above their rent The COM
pany has not produced its checks in re-
buttal. During all OF this reduction and
aries Of the officers, managers or super
intendents were reduced. Reductions in
these would not have been so severely
felt. would have shown good faith.
would have relieved the harshness of the
situation and would have evinced genu-
inc sympathy with labor in the disasters
Of the times.
In its statements to the public which
are in evidence, the company represents
that its object in all ii did was to con-
tnue operations for the benefit of its
wOrkmen and tradespeOple in and about
Pullman and to save the public from the
annoyance OF interrupted travel. The
commission thinks that the evidence shows
that it sought to keep running mainly
for it's own benefit as q manufacturer.
that its plant might not rust; that its
competitors might not invade its territory
that 1t might keep it's cars in repair; that
1t might be ready for resumption when
business revived with a live plant and
competent help, and that its revenue from
its tenements might continue.
II We exclude the aesthetic and sani-
tary features at Pullman, the rents there
are from 20 to 25 per cent. higher than
rents in Chicago or surrounding towns for
similar accommodations. The aesthetic
features are admired by visitors, but shave
no money value TO employees, especially
when they lack bread The company
makes all repairs and heretofore has not
compelled tenants to pay for them. I'm
der the printed leases, however, which ten
ants must sign, they agree 20 pay for all