Pullman Leases
CHICAG, Aug. 30.- "We have now ltssened to the testimony of all witnesses wbo, at the suggestiou of interested partie8, have been subpcenaed to appear before us. AU have testified, with the exception of a few who are out of the city. Are there any other persons present this morning who would like tobeheard?" Tbat was the remark made by Iabor Commissioner Wright after examining b batch of witnesses, which examination was closed a little beiore noon yesterday. The commissioner looked over his glasses around the room. Nobody male nny motions toward the witness stand and there was no response to the invitation. "No one has filed a request to offer testimony In rebuttal as yet and we will adjourn until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock," said Mr. Wright. Wlll Occupy All of the Week. "The commission will meet and talk over the situation before determining on the nature of further proceedings," said Kernan after adjournment. He thought perhaps the remainder of the week would be required to complete the investigatiou. More witnesses are to testify, and a nnmber who have already been on the stand promised to send in statistlcs. Most of the morning session was occupied by quite a cloud of witnesses sent in by the Rock Island road, three or four of whom were railroaders who didn't strike and the remainder comprised a batch of Blue Isltailors, bakers, barteuders, milkuiea, feedstore clerks, painters and farmers. But before they were put on the stand a couple of Pullman officials eave teatimonv. Testimony About That Lease. Theee witnesses cïine to teil the commissioner that the lease signed by the Pullman tenants, like those signed by most people, who rent houses from agents in Chicago, was not taken seriously by either party. By the average Chicago lease, if a cycloue were to blow away a house the tenant could be made to pay the damage, and the Pullman lease seems to be of the same kind. The first witness was W. B. Hornbeck. He is the acting town agent of Pullman, and has power of attorney to Bign lease agreemeuts for the Pullman company. He said all repairs to houses at Pullman were made by the Pullman compauy at the expense of the company. Such repairs had averaged $3,600 a month for the past year. No repairs were charged to tenants. Commissiouer Keraan wanted to know why, then, a tenant was required to sign a lease agreeing to keep the property in repair. Broken Glass Charged to Tenant. The witness did not know why the lease had been so worded. He knew that such provisión was a dead letter. The company had never asked him to enforce it, and to his knowledge it never had been enforced. He only knew that the company did not charge the tenant with repairs. He did not make the lease and did uot know who made it. James L. Walker, superintendent of repairs in the town of Pullman, was called. and said that generally the repairs were done at the expense of the company. Broken glass was charged to the tenant with certain exceptions. Mr. Walker said that he decided whether a tenant was responsible or not. If the tenant did not like the decisión he could appeal to higher officers. The monthly bilis for repairs on the dwellings alone amounted to about $4,000. Witness said that the only glass charged to tenants was such as was broken by the tenant or some one for whom he was responsible. All repairs made necessary by wear and tear or oy storms were made by the company.
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Ann Arbor Argus
Old News