Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-15

evil as is possible under the universal
| combination idea inaugurated by the
railroads and followed by the Ameri-
can hallway union. The refusal of
the General Managers association to
recognize and deal with such a com
bination of labor as the American Rail
| way union seems arrogant and absurd
when we consider its standing before
the law, its assumptions. and its
past and obviously contemplated fu-
| ture action"
Taking up the subject of the Pull
man Palace Car company the report
ayS: This is a corporation organized
IN 1861, with Il capital Of $1,O00,00O.
1t has grown until its present paid up
capital is $36,000.000. It's property
enabled the company for over twenty
years to paw two per cent. quarterly
| dividends and in addition lay up a sur
! plus OF nearly $25,000,0O0 undivided
! profits" Speaking of the town of Pull
man Of which the report states the
! company is owner and landlord. the
commission says: GAS a result Of the
! l'Illman 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 and unyielding corpor-
alton, and upon the other a multitude
Of employees comparatively excellent
workmen of skill, but without local at
! tachments or with any interested re
J II
| tenements, or surroundings. The con-
! Giti0ns created at Pullman enabled the
management at all times to assert with
| great yigOr it's assumed right to fix
wages and rents, absolutely, and re-
press that sort of independence which
| leads to labor organizations and their
attempts at mediation, arbitration,
| strikes, etc. The men at Pullman claim
the company, during 1S93-1S94, set q
pace through exports, so that with
| their forced loss of time the average
| man could earn little more than the
| rent of his home owned by the COM
| pany. The company alleges that it
simply readjusted piecework prices
/ to suit the necessities OF the times.
! During all this reduction and its at
! tendent suffering none Of the salaries
OF the officers, managers or suDerin-
| t;'nients were reduced. Reductions in
! these would not have been so severely
! felt. and would have shown good faith,
would have relieved the harshness Of
, the situation, and would have evinced
Il genuine 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 Ill it did was to continue operations
! for the benefits Of it's workmen and
/ the trades-poOple in Pullman and to
save the public from the annoyance of
! interrupted travel. The commission
thinks that the evidence shows that
! ii sought to keep running mainly for
| is own benefits as a manufacturer,
! that it might keep its cars in repair,
| that it might be ready for resumption
when business revived with live
plant and competent help, and that
| its revenue from its tenements might
continue The demand Of employees
| for the wages of June. 1893 was clear
| ly unjustifiable. Business in May, 1894
| -
! The reductions were carried to excess,
| but the company was hardly more at
| fault therein than were employees in
insisting upon the wages of June, 1893.
! There was little discussion as to the
rents of the company. Maintaining it's
rents had nothing to do with its
wages. Some slight commission in this
regard would probably have averted
! the strike. The strike occurred May
II. and it is in evidence and uncOntra-
! dicted that no violence or destruction
of property by strikers or sympathiz-
! ers took place at Pullman. Such dig
nifed. manly and conservative conduct
in the midst of excitement and threat
ening starvation is worthy of the high
est type of American citizenship, and
with like prudence in all other direc
tons will result in a lawful and Or
derby redress of labor wrongs. To de-
fly this is to foreswear patriotism and
, to declare that this government and
, it's people are failures.
AS to the great railroad strike proper
the report says: at is apparent that
the readiness to strike sympathetically
was promoted by disturbed and ap-
prehensive condition of railway en-
ployes, resulting from wage reduc-
tons on different lines, blaclIliSting.
etc, and from the recent growth of
the General Managers association
which seemed to them a menace.
The policy, both of the Pullman COM
pany and the railway managers asso,
citation in reference to applications to
arbitrate, closed the door to all at
tempts at Cancellation and settlement
of differences. The commission is i'm
pressed with the belief by circum-
stances as disclosed, that a different
policy would have prevented loss of
life and the great loss Of property and
wages occasioned by the strike
The report declares the arrival of
troops in Chicago opportune and says
that three were United States marshals
to the number of 5000 selected by
and appointed at the request Of the
General Managers association. They
were armed and paid by the railroads
and acted in the double capacity of
railroad employees and United States
officers. While operating the railroads
they assumed and exercised the unre-
Stricted United States authority when
so ordered nv pmnlOVerS or whenever