The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-14
PULLMAN MARES a srATEMENT


The Palace Car Magnate Tells EEis side
Of the Great Strike.
New YORK, June 14--f'Th ere is
hardly anything new to be said as to
the position of the Pullman company
said George NJ Pullman last evening,
s.but L have SO many indications Of
the facility with which my express
sions and those authorized by me
have been distorted, and thus mislead-
ing to the public, and Of an entire for
getting of my earnest efforts to
prevent the strike, that perhaps
it is well that should
again make a pu bic assurance
that the deplorab1e events Of the last
few weeks have not been caused
by the Pullman company taking an
obstinate. stand in 4 debatable matter,
and refusing to listen to reason The
leaders Of the disorder have not hesi-
tated to harass the public by all
means in their power, because, as
they say. the Pullman company would
not submit to arbitration, and now
that disorder seems to be quelled they
are reinforced in their clamOr for ar
bitration by some prominent news
papers. but so far as know, by very
few, if any, business men IN the
country
what is the demand concealed
arbitration? A little more than a
year ago the shops at Pullman we're
in prosperous condition; work was
plenty, wages high and the condition
of the employees was indicated by the
fact that the local savings bank had
of savings deposits nearly 500. 600, of
which nearly all was the property of
the employees Our pay rolls for that
year show an average earning of over
5000 per annum for every man, woman
L
came the great panic and depression
of last summer Many customers
stopped negotiations and cancelled
orders, and our working force had to
be reducee from nearly 5000 to 1000,
in November 1893 The great bust
ness depression existing throughout
the country had naturally resulted in
a wage depression. and the only hope
of getting orders was by bidding for
work a prices as low or lower than
this, of course, necessit ated a reduc-
ton in the wages of the employees at
Pullman.
lin the early part of MAY a com
mittee of the employees demanded a
restoration of the wages Of wear
ago. 1 explained to this committee
infinitely and laboriOusly the facts.
showing that the company was al
ready paying them more than it was
receiving for their con tract work. and
I offered them, for complete assur-
ance and to end all question, an n
spection of our books and con tracts
in hand This and the beginning at
once at Pullman of a promised care
full investigation Of a number of shop
complaints, seemed to end all trouble,
but a day later, under the excite
ment of their recruiting into the A. r.
Z. organization. the wOrkmen closed
the shops by abandoning their work,
thus the mselves doing what L was
strenuOusly trying to prevent being
done by the depression of the car
building business, and the employees
who quit their work have deprived
themselves and their comrades of
earning more than $500, 600 up to this
time. The demand made before quit
ting work was that the wages should
be restored to the scale Of last year,
money losses then being daily in
Cured by the company IN car build
ing should be increased to an amount
equal to about one-fourth of the
wages of the employees.
1T must be clear to every business
man and to every thinking workman
that no prudent employer could sub
nit to arbitration the question as to
whether he should com NIT such a
piece Of business folly.
Jt'Removing the original and funda-
mental question one stage does not
help the matter; the question would
still remain: Can / as a business
man, knowing the truth of the facts
which l have stated, bind myself that
I will in any contingency open and
operate the Pullman car shops at
whatever loss, if it should happen to
be the opinion of some third party
that I should do so? The answer
seems to be plain
1.-The public should not permit the
real question which has been before
it to be obscured. That question was
as to the ssibility of the creation
and duration of a Dictatorship, which
could make all the industries of the
United States and the daily comfort
of the millions depen dent upon them
hostages for the granting of any fam
tastic whim of such a dictator. ANY
submission to him would have been a
long step in that direction, and, in
the interest Of every law abiding
citizen Of the United States was not
to be considered for moment
"A few words are pertinent as to
some charges against the company.
One Of these charges is that rents are
exhorbitant, and it is implied that
the Pullman employees have no choice
but to submit The answer is simple
The average rental of tennements at
Pullman IS at the rate Of SO per room
per month, and the renting Of houses
at Pullman has no relation to the
work in the shops Employees may,
and very many do. own or rent their
houses outside Of the town and the
buildings and business places in the
town are rented to employees or others
in competition with neighboring
properties
LAS to the charges for water the
company until lately had a contract
with the village of Hyde Park. under
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