The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-04
BITTER WORDS
Are Hurled at Car Maker
George nj. Pullman,
BY the Taxpayers Defense
League of Chicago.
THE LIST OF WRONGS
Which He is Alleged to Have
Perpetrated on Society
And the Men in His Employ is a
Long One.
THE LIST OF WRONGS

ment, on the subject of taxation and
the protection of wealthy corporations
by assessors in Chicago has been given
out by the Taxpayers Defense League.
1t is an open letter addressed to George
NJ. Pullman, president OF Pullman'S
Palace Car company, and is signed by
u. 5. Holbrook, president of the league.
The letter contains tabu1ated state
mentS, showing the assets of the Pull
man company to have been, at the last
annual meeting, 500, 000, 900. The amount
of property assessed as belonging to the
company in Illinois in 1886 is shown to
be 81, SCI 1856, or 111 percent of the as
sets; the asSessable property in Illinois
is said to be $39 600, 635; the assessment
on property at Pullman to have been
made by acres, when the town contains
hne residences, hotel, a bank, church.
es and factories; the assessment on this
property to be $741 per acre for 293
acres, and nothing for 1S2 acres, and a
fair estimate of its actual value to be
$4,000 per acre, and finally claim that
a discrepancy between the assessors
figures and fair assessment in COM
parison with what others pay, means
a difference of 100000 annually in the
revenues of Chicago, Cook county and
Illinois.
Words of denunciation are directed at
President Pullman, regarding the strike
of 1894. Its causes and its results are
viewed from the standpoint of the tax
payer. 1t is asserted that the strike
will cost the city SIG, SOC, 600. if the courts
rule that the city is responsible for all
damages due to riots. On this line the
letter says:
Your $63, 900, 900 of property was pro-
tected by the courts and military at the
expense of the state and the nation.
You knew that the responsibility for the
destruction of your property from law
lessness rested on the city. In the midst
of this trouble you left for your summer
residence, and let the state and federal
troops and the grand jury fight your
battles. In precise language, your COM
pany will probably cost the city and
state more money than you have ever
paid in taxes, or will pay in the next 10
years.
And what is your return for all this
protection of your $40,0oo,000 of as
sets?"
Extracts from the letter follow:
The state auditor reports that you
were assessed 81. 6S6.79O in 1895 and 81
561,95 in 1895. The decrease has been
constant since 1894, when the assessment
was $1,743,595. Three years ago, when
You reduced the wages of your work
ingmen, on the ground that you were
taking contracts for a new work at less
than cost in order to keep your men
employed, and then refused to arbitrate
the question of fact, you precipitated
the great strike OF 1894.
The strike and subsequent riots, with
loss of life and property, the presence
of state and federal troops, the impan-
cling of special grand jury, the ap-
pointing of a strike commission by
President Cleveland, the tying up of the
railroads, the indictment of Mr.. Debs
for interfering with United States COM
merce-all these events recall the I'M
sympathetic attitude which you assunl-
ed toward your working people in their
distress at that time, many of whom
had been in your employ for years.
You reduced their wages, but refused
to reduce their rents; you permitted
many to work just long enough to earn
for you their undiminished rents and
hOI food
and clothing as best they could, until
another month could come around and
possibly bring them relief.
These facts came before the grand
jury, of which the writer was a mem
Der, and there was not a dry eye in
that jury room when they were recited.
Property rights are no more sacred than
the natural rights of man, but because
law and order seemed to be endangered
the rights of property were triumphant
Your $63,000,000 of property was pro-
tected by the courts and military at the
| expense of the state and of the nation
mo intelligent and upright assessor
could value the real eSta tie in Pullman
with it's fine buildings and residences, as
| acre property, at less than your own
estimate.
The rights of property are now war
! ring on the rights of men. Monopolies
| and trusts on the necessarieS of life
| threaten the destruction of the state.
"Debs would have no followers if men
! of wealth were righteous. Most revo-
/ luIlOnS OeSan with UNJUST
and, judging from the evidence in my
| possession, it is high time that the pres
| ent corrupt system of raising revenues
| should be abolished.
| "a generous public may be depended
! upon for tips to poor colored porters to
| make up for such unjust wages as the
| sleeping car companies pay, but the
| public will no longer tip the county
| treasurer to make up for the missin g
| taxes that are justly due the county
from men who are abundantly able to
| pay, and, but for the rotten system of
| raising revenue, would have to pay
! their just share of public expenses.
| ct is cruel, it is dishonest. it is GRIM
| inal to let the humble taxpayers, who
| seldom ask for protection, bear the
| heavy burdens that they are now carry
ing, while some rich corporations many
| of our largest business houses, some of
| the WealthieSt property owners, Shirk
| their duty and escape by methods that
| demand the attention of the grand
| jury"
1 u - Il Co.,