Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-11-17
rHE strike coMMlssloN.

THE STRIKE COMMISSION.
10 Reports aud sharply Criticises Puiin,as
aud the General Managers
CHICAGO, Nov. li.-The United
States government report on the
great railway strike In connection
with The PuIimsn trouble was made
public yesterday. The report. which
d signed by the federal labor COM
missioner, Carroll u Wright, and his
fellow investigator, John II. Herman,
Of New York. and Nicholas H. Worth.
ington, Of Illinois, is addressed to
President Cleveland and abounds In
passages which will attract wide ut.
tention, particularly the portion re.
fcrring to the now famous General
Managers association, the organiza-
ton OF high railway officials that en-.
comprised the me moral BILE defeat OF
the American Railway union.
The report ssys the capitalization OF
the twenty. four railroads directly
represented In the General Managers
association was 81. los, 552,6i7. The
number OF employees was 3:l,097.
| me- COmni5otOu COuttuuCb.
"This voluntary unincorporated rs.
ISOLATION was formed in 1886. In Its
constitution the object Of the as.ocia-
ton Is state to be tn. consideration
of problems of management arising
from ,he operation of railroads ter
minating or centering Mt Chicago
ut further provides that all funds
needed shall be raised by assessment
divided equally among the members
There are no limitations rs to con.
sideration of problems of funds, ex-
cept the will OF the managers and the
resources of the IN .lrCad corporations.
! Until June. lsDI, the associat .on's
possibilit es us strike fighter and
wage arbter lay rather dormant. It's
ron is fixed Chicago scale for
switchmen, covering all lines Mt Chi
cago. In March. 1893 til, switchmcn
demanded more pay from each road.
/ The assoc alton concluded that they
were paid enough--if anything. too
much. The roads SO informed the
men. The Switchmcn's mutual all
! association of North America wrote
to Mr.. st. John, AS chairman. acqu.-
escing lie. n chairman of thc Cen
eral Managers association. conclu ed
his reply rs follows: The asso ia
ton approves the course TAX, by
your body AMI desires 10 deal fairly
with all employees, and believes that
our switchmen are rcce wing du. con-
sideration.'
This seems to show" the report
says, that employees upon association
roads IRE treated as und ~ subsection
to the General Managers assoc ,at ion,"
and the report after detailing the
action of the association in rstab ish-
ing agencies and employing men,
adds: This was the first time when
men upon each line were brought
sharply face to face with the fact inst
in questions as 10 wages. ru'e'. etc.
each line WAS supported by twenty
four combined railroads Tbs asso-
citation likewise prepared for its use
/ elaborate schedule of the wages paid
upon the entire lines of its twenty
four members. TIE proposed OBJECT
OF these sche Jules was to let each
road know what other roads paid
Finding that the men upon IN. lines
urged increases 10 corrcsp md with
wages paid elsewhere. u committee
of the assoc alton prepare and pre-
scented uniform schedule for al
membership roads. 1t was deemed
wise not to act uron the
report II was distri5ut ID to
members in November, 1898 This
distribution alone enabled the report
to he used with eiiic cncv as an
equalizer. As the result during
ls93-it being then we'll nm lerstooi
that as To wages, etc, wa an Incl
dent OF the General Managers a>so-
citation to assist each road in case of
trouble over such matter, one form
OF assistance being for the association
to secure men enough through its
agencies to take the places OF all
strikers--rcduction were here and
ther, made on the different roads
the tendency and effort cpparently
being to equalize the pay on all lines
lit Is admitted that the action OF
the association has great weight with
outside lines and thus ten Is to estab'
| lish one uniform scale throughout the
country. The further single st'p OF
admitting lines not running into Chi
cago to membership W iull rtainly
hav the effect of combining all rail.
roads wage contentious against all
employees Tn reon.
"The commission questions wheth'
err any legal authority. statutory or
otherwise. can be found to justify
some of the features of the associa-
ton which have coms to light in his
/ investigation. II we regard its prac-
Z A..
/ fcssions as expressed in its constitu'
tion the General Managers assocla-
ton has no more standing in law than
the old trunk line pool. II cannot
corporate because railroad charters
do not authorize roads to form corpo-
ration, or associations, to fix rates for
services and wages, nor to force their
acceptance, nor to battle with strik-
crs. 1t is usurpation of power not
| grant ID. II such an association
Is necessary from business or econ
omic standpoint the right to form
and maintain II must come from the
state that granted its charter.
The report reviews and discusses Mt
great length the Pullman strike and
the testimony heard by the commits
sion. The methods of the Pullman
company and the General Managers
association are severely criticised. and
the cause of the strike Is attributed To
the refusal of each To arbitrate. The
report finds that organization OF en-
p owes is necessary for sclf-protection
and recommends the formation Of u
permanent Federal arbitration com
mission, similar to the interstate
commerce commission. with supreme
power to investigat, and settle all
s .kes between railroads and their
employees.
Terbsrt for MorrIiI's Private Secretary.
HIAwATHA, Kan, Nov Ewing
Herbert. editor of the Brown county