The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-03
THE PULLMAN BOYCOTT.

| In resorting to a boycott which has
already paralyzed a good part of the
| passenger transportation facilities in
the neighborhood of Chicago, the Amer
lean Railway union has made the blum
| der which will cost it the sympathy of
the public in it's conflict with the Pull
man company. There are a good many
people regular and occasional travellers.
who feel friendly interest in any
reasonable movement directed against
the Pullman company. But when it
! is carried to the extremity Of interfer-
ing with the commerce of the country
and incommoding thousands of people
Who are in no way to blame for the
existing differences between EMPLOYERS
and employees, it is another question.
The foregoing is from the Kansas
City Times: The boycott of the Pull
mans has degenerated into a general
railway strike, with the usual accom-
paniments of lawlessness and disorder.
1t is now sought not only to coerce the
railroads, but also the public into talk
ing the side of the Pullman EMPLOYEES.
That is carrying the conflict too far.
We believe the sympathy of the peo-
pie everywhere is largely with the
strikers against the Pullman company.
But that does not by any means include
the refusal to work on the part of the
railroad workmen. 1t does not cover
the despotic edicts of the chief of the
A. R. U. That which paralyzes inter
communication to the injury of trade
and commerce and the impoverishnent
Of thousands of working people, cannot
long receive the support of any class
of the population.
As the case now stands, it looks as
though the Pullman company ought to
yield, to the extent of referring the dis
pute to arbitrator chosen by the par
ties litigant in the usual way. The re-
fusal of the company to arbitrate looks
bad for The Pullman side IF the cues
ton. 1t is true they offered their DO ols
for examination to show tina. they had
been paying higher wages than the re-
ceipts justified. But if that is a fact.
why should the company not be will
ing to have that fact investigated by
arbitrator?
The men claim that wages have been
cut down from 80 to so per cent. since
September, 1898. and are now so low
that after paying rent TO the company
there is little or nothing left for them
to live on. Another complaint is that
the foremen are not competent, and
that the favored ones have their own
way while others must suffer. The
system of piece work in vogue is such.
it is complained, that there is no show
for the ordinary workman, as it is based
upon the labor of the most expert, and
when piece of work is given out at
one price and finished in given time,
the next day the same character Of
work is put out at reduced rates.
The company officials say that it is
not a question as to what the company
is willing to pay, but what it can pay.
and that it would rather keep the works
closed six months than run, as there
are few construction orders to be had.
They claim that in the past the com
pany has paid the highest wages, and
that now, when everything is down, the
men are unable to adjust themselves
to the changed situation. They ask
why, if the men have been badly
treated, some have remained with the
company five, ten and twelve years
1t is a very pretty quarrel of itself |
But the complications that have arisen
through the connection of the Ameri-
can Railway union with the original |
are of a more serious ma
ture. They affect most of the railroads
Of the country, and in these are in
Guided the Union Pacific and its con-
nections. which have an important |
bearing on local affairs.
Our opinion is that the A. R.. U. has
gone too far in this matter. and that
the result will be very great loss to
the railway workmen who refuse to
comply with the orders of court which
have been issued. Also that in other
where the boycott is in force
and the courts have not handled the
matter, there is danger of great in