Evening capital news., May 01, 1916, Page 6, Image 6

About Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
ONTARIO YARDS
BEING IMPROVED
BY SHORT LINE
Tracks Being Extended and
Water Works System Im
proved—Much Building in
Progress This Year.
(Staff Correspondence.)
Ontario, May 1.—The Oregon Short
Line is making Important Improve
ments ln the railroad yards here, in
the way of extensions of side tracks,
building new sidings, extending its
own water system from the stock
yards to the depot, etc. The sidetracks
In the yards here are to be changed
around ln a manner to accommodate
more trains with a minimum expendi
ture of time. The new sidings and ex
tension of old sidings here will amount
to several thousand feet in length, ac
cording to reports received.
New Residences.
Some goqd building Improvements
are being made here. Dr. R. O. Payne
atarted excavating for a handsome
new seven room bungalow to cost
$3600. It will be strictly modern.
Raver & Miller have the contract.
A. Lachead ls building a modern
seven room houee to cost about $2000.
This ls the third house In this block
that has been built by Mr. Lachead.
One of them Is a modern apartment
house, and one .s a modern residence.
Mr. Lachead Is planning to build two
more houses ln this block, ln the near
future.
H. L. Poorman, looal plumber, se
cured the contract for plumbing and
heating the new court house being
built in Council. Mr. Poorman's bid
was 82600. He expects to start work
on this contract ln about 60 days. He
also has a $300 plumbing contract for
Tom Woodard's new residence being
trailt ln Juntura.
R. L. Adcock of Seattle bought a
five-acre Advancement tract one mile
west of Ontario for $225 per acre. The
tract ls under cultivation.
F. D. Klnyon of Seattle bought a 10
acre Advancement tract two miles
southwest of Ontario for $260 per acre.
The place ls being put into cultivation.
Mrs. M. Leo opened a new cafe in
the old Blue Front block and has
named It the Short Line Cafe.
Mr. and Mrs. U. A. Franklin last
Friday celebrated their twenty-fifth
wedding anniversary, having been
married 25 years ago at Durango, Col
orado. The Baptist ladies assisted in
the celebration Friday evening, and a
most enjoyable evening was spent.
HOTEL ARRIVALS.
IDANHA—Fred Tuttle, New York;
R. E. Parker, Chicago; A. D. Grant.
Mayfield; E. Miller, St. Louis; E. E.
Doyle. St. Louis; J. E. Allen and wife,
Salt Lake; G. Goodwin, Pocatello; J.
Holland, Baker; J. McEloray and wife,
Gooding; P. A. Stingel, Caldwell; Mrs.
Susie Young Gates, Mrs. Elizabeth S.
Wilson, Salt Lake; Mrs. J. Strachan,
Soda Springs; M. B. Travis, Chicago;
Jes R. Bird, Provdins; Glenn McCul
lough. Standfleld; John Gusnold, Chi
cago; J. A. Hunt, Payette; M. Merston,
St. Paul; H. E. James, Helena; O. H.
Todd. Seattle; Stanton Rorst, J. B.
Snow, Mountain Home; T. H. Taylor,
[Portland; H. Hall, Spokane; P. V. En
jloe. Great Falls; Dr. Penhallegon,
Glenns Ferry; L. A. Merrill and wife.
Des Moines; E. B. Hanson, Ogden; R.
IF. Graves, Salt Lake; L. Aulu, Chicago;
|H. Wentworth, Barber; Jack Shelton,
INompa.
GRAND— E. J. Bartels. Salt Lake:
C. W. Gamble and family. North
Yakima; T. R. Miller and family,
Caldwell; Joseph Burke. W. J. Reid,
W. H. Quinn, Horseshoe Bend; Charles
Rogers, Idaho City; C. ,T. Kelly and
[wife, Jordan Valley; W. B. Barnes,
SSmmett; J. B. Chattin, John Helgren,
Mountain Home: Max Milner, Merid
ian; B. A. Diesel, Omaha: Ad M. Si
gnons, Ontario; A. C. Gallup, Placer
[ville; N. S. Dlls; Pinehurst; S. B.
Coen, Salt Lake; F. Dunlap, A. Mc
Bride, Garden Valley; M. Morgan,
Kansas City.
BRISTOL—Don P. Young, Soldier;
V. C. Brassey, Placerville; Clyde Rude,
leorge R. Sweeney, Quartzburg; C.
Searles, Salt Lake; J. W. Watkins,
laid well; John D. Crooks, Salt Lake;
like Lynch, St. Louiai Harold Lulles,
'he Dalles; D. W. Hamilton, Weiser;
Ir. and Mrs. D. J. Howard and son,
Ipokane; J". P. Boyles, Regena; B. H.
Costenbach, Payette; Daisy Hinton,
leatty; Florence Smith, Perkins; Jack
i
(T
j
j
;
;
■
Ashamed of her
bad complexion
If you, too, are embarrassed by
~a pimply, blotchy, unsightly com
plexion, try Resinol Soap and Res
inol Ointment regularly for a week
and see if they do not beginto make
a blessed difference in your skin.
They also help make red, rough
hands and arms soft and white.
Ifesinol
I
tBdOtaftnent are sold by all drug-grists. For trial
free, write to Dept. 20-K, Kesinoi, Baltimore.
** ♦+ S*
* ♦ -# * * 4 > \
-ev
3
y.
Now Remember
U
BAKING ROW
hurry to your grocer's for a
can of Calumet—learn your
final and best lesson in baki
—bake everything with Calu
met that proved a failure with
other Baking Powders.
l $ t>
mg
J ,0T made bv the trusJ
fALUME
"This is the test which
proves Calumet the surest,
safest Baking Powder in the
world—the most economical
to buy and to use. My
mother has used Calumet for
years — and there's never a
bake-day failure at our house."
Received Highest Awards
Nrui Cook Book Fret
Set Slip in Pound Can
m
A
i
m
HGPO»!
baking POWOE
Chicago
J
BAKING POWDER!
What's What in Idaho Politics
What ls a Republican? Ask the
Statesman or the attorney general.
"When thieves fall out
what's the use.
but
The secretary
state's morning organ and the Trib
une at Pocatello seem to be taking
care of that.
of
All of which goes to indicate that
the specter of Teddy Roosevelt has
already thrown the scare into a num
ber of the shivering faithful within
the Republican fold.
When some politicians and their re
actionary newspapers are asked to
hump up and show a little progres
siveness trouble can be expected. They
are simply not built that way. •
Apparently the Bull Moose ls still
At least
that Is the Impression gained judging
from the disturbance going on in the
Republican party.
an animal to be feared.
Even the Pence-Nugent-Elder boss
ism machine is shying at the horned
terror. Having steam-rollered most of
the counties in the gtate for Elder dele
gates this well oiled piece of mech
anism got at least one jolt in the fact
it was actually possible to hold a party
primary. Canyon county seemed to
Rogers, Nampa; Mr. and Mrs. T. Fay
and family, Minneapolis; IV^rs. P. H.
Stelzer, Reiser; W. S. Watson, Esta
brook, Colo.; Jacob Donaldson and
wife. Salt Lake; R. J. Givens and wife,
Mountain Home; M. J. Higby, Pay
ette; George Atkins, Butte; J. D, Dun
ning, Butte; C. P. Simpson, Payette.
WARNING TO BOYS WHO
FREQUENT THE POOL HALLS.
The police department Is receiving
reports to the effect that boys under
18 years of age are frequenting pool
halls ahd taking part in games, and
the chief of police gives out the fol
lowing statement, a statement similar
to one made a short time ago dealing
with the pool hall question involving
boys under that age:
"Reports are being received by the
police department to the effect that
boys under 18 years of age are making
it a practice to go into pool halls and
take part 'n games. Such a practice on
the part of boys under that age is
strictly in violation of law and the of
ficers of (his department do not pro
pose to let It continue. Those who op
erate pool halls have a right and
should demand to know the ages of
an>' bovs entering their places of busi
ness about which there appears to be
any question in the matter, which no
doubt most of the proprietors do. It is
probable that some ot the boys under
the law limit who enter pool halls mls
inform those who conduct places of
that character and therefore are wholly
responsible for the infraction of the
statute covering the question. How
ever, the practice referred to above will
have to stop."
The name of David L. Evans of Ma-jrp
ed ls suggested as the compromise
national committeeman of the Demo
cratic party at Pocatello. Many Dem
ocrats believe that party harmony can
best be acquired by selecting a third j
nian who has not been involved in the
fight that has been waged over na
be the exception to the rule. It goes
Without saying a primary is impossible
with the machine.
But it is only the little steamers
that have been operating in the Dem
ocratic party. Wait until the big rol
ler is backed over the Pocatello con
vention manned by the federal crowd
under the captaincy of Pence-Nugent
Elder,
tional committeeman.
I
"Hopes for harmony in the Pocatello
convention fade as the days go by
and the arbitrary methods of the
crowd become
says the
"Yet, sobej:
minds in the party have not entirely
abandoned the belief that when the
time comes the sane and reasoning
delegates will grapple with the situa
tion, and bring order out of chaos."
Nugent-Pence-Elder
more strikingly manifest,''
Press-Times, Wallace.
M. J. Sweeley, a prominent attorney
of Twin Falls, has announced his can
didacy for attorney general, subject to
the will of the Republican primaries.
Mr. Sweeley was a member of the sen
ate from Twin Falls county, where he
gained the title of "Silver Tongued i
Orator." He was a candidate for lteu- ;
tenant governor at the primaries later
but failed to secure the nomination.
Since 1906 he has been a resident of
Twin Falls nnd has been closely iden
tified with the development of that re
markable city.'
J. C. Lawrence, a well known pollti
1 leader, while at Moscow the other j
day made this statement: "The senti- -
ment throughout a great many states
of the union portends to the nomlna
tion of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and
when the Chicago convention convenes
in June the situation * will have by
that time become well advanced so
that it will be known at once in which
Candidate the strength of the party.
wiU rest
"1 am firm in the belief that Colonel
Roosevelt's only purpose is to reunite
the party, whether with himself as the
presidential nominee or, some other
equally progressive Republican. I had
the pleasure of a talk with him in
which I gleaned this opinion of his
views.
Roosevelt is more desirous of the Re
publican nomination than he is for the
reuniting of the party as a whole."
Mr. Lawrence paid a high tribute to j
the ability of Senator W. E. Borah of
Idaho, whoYn he heard deliver an ad
dress In the senate. He said that Sen
ator Borah was more appreciated for
his statesmanship away from home
than he was at home and declared
do not believe that Colonel
I
that ha was the "Jim Blaine of the
Republican party of today."
The S pokcsinan - Review of Spokane
"Mr. Whltla brought with him
■ays:
from Coeur d'Alene Informal announce
ment of the candidacy of Circuit Judge
R. N. Dunn of Coeur d'Alene for the
supreme bench, to succeed Judge I. N.
Sullivan, whose term expires.
!
ij
The unreliability of the morning
paper in reporting the Twin Falls |
convention is against shown in the fol
lowing statement made by I,. F. Par
sons, a Latah county delegate to the ;
convention upon his return to Moscow: ■(
"Press reports to the effect that the ! |
Twin Falls convention was a Bull!
Moose aggregation are erroneous.:
There was no opportunity to fairly jj
test the sentiment of the delegates.il
hp name of R OOSPV elt was mentioned
onIy twice. The first time when some- II
onp sung parodies on Idaho political l|
leaders, one paragraph being on Roose
veIf "j t waa difficult to determine
whether tile applause was due to the 1
n1f ntton of Roosevelt or to the popu
j ar j ty of the'slngcr 1 '
Other members of the Latah deiega- il
It is
understood, however, that Judge Sul
livan will bo a candidate for re-elec- I
tion.
"Judge Dunn, before removing to
Kootenai county, was prosecuting at- j
torney in Shoshone county."
Can you name him?
"He has always supported local op- !
tion or prohibition, the public utilities
commission and other measures that
have received the popular approval j
and he ls now and has been since the
proposition -was first heard, an earnest
advocate of the more rapid sale of
state lands. He has always been on
the right side of every question that
have come up for decision since he
has been ln office."
The Wood River Times at Halley
says all this, and more, of Lieutenant
Governor Herman H. Taylor. Appar
ently the Times editor has forgotten
that the present lieutenant governor
has never been known as a dry, that
he admitted when fighting tjie public
utilities commission act before the
senate that he was a paid attorney
of one of the transcontinental rail
roads passing through north Idaho.
"I had a very gratifying trip ln
every way," said George E. Crum, one
of the numeroas Republican guberna
torial candidates, speaking of his cam
paign trip to southern Idaho. "My
reception everywhere was most cor
dial and I return home confident of se
curing the nomination for governor at
the coming primaries."
The Benewah county central com
mittee elected six delegates to the
Democratic state convention to be held
at Pocatello and Instructed them for
Robert H. Elder for national commit
teeman. The delegates so elected and
instructed are C. R. Reynolds, Edward
S. Elder, Jess Elliott. J. J. Nichols, A.
A. Holsclaw, George Cornell.
The committee on resolutions pre
sented a set of resolutions which were
unanimously adopted These resolu
tions indorsed President Wilson and
Governor Alexander in ringing tones.
They also commended the services to
the party of State Chairman Pence and
National Committeeman Elder and In
structed the delegates to vote for the
re-election of Elder as national com
mitteeman. The delegation was also
Instructed to vote as a unit on all mat
ters coming before the convention.
"Roosevelt, Borah and Progressive
ness.'' This is the slogan that the
Wood River Times, one of the con
servative Republican newspapers of
south central Idaho, is flying at its
masthead.
"Monday, the 10th Inst.—two weeks
ago—the Times put at the head of its
first page the slogan, 'Roosevelt, Borah
and Preparedness.' " srtys the Times.
The same day it sent to Theodore
Roosevelt the following telegram:
"Roosevelt, Borah apd Adequate
Preparedness should be the Republican
rallying cry." Three days later—Thurs
day, tlie 13th—the New York Tribune,
yvhieh Has always been a leading Re
publican newspaper, and which op
posed Roosevelt in 1912, declared for
him at this time because of the need
of his vigorous Americanism."
tion declared that the Borah sentiment
for president was the sole topic of ln- j
terest in the convention and but . for
the expressed wish ÿf Senator Borah
that no Instructions be given the dele
gates to Chicago, the convention would
have adopted such instructions. As it
was Senator Borah was placed at the :
head of the delegation and will be
guided solely by his wishes. v |
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt seems to
be very popular among the Republl-4
cans over in the state of Washington,
ln the presidential primaries In Spo
kane county he outdistanced all conrtl
dates, securing a lead of 727 votes over
his nearest competitor, Justice Hughes.
FINE FOR RHEUMATISM!
fcflusterole Loosens Up Those Stifl
Joints—Drives Out Pain
You'll know why thousands use MUS
once y° u experience the glad
rc *?5* ^ 8f vcs *
, a ^ ar once from the nearest
store. It is a clean, white oint
I nen jL ina( * C with the oil of mustard. Bet
î^f *" al1 a mustard plaster and does not
£ .ter. Brings ease and comfort while
lt t tctmtd rvTfe - 0n , , ,
« "JUSTIER OLE is recommended bj
® oc ^ ors *tnd nurses. Millions of jars ar<
* n, J ua ^y *p r Bronchitis, Croup
Stiff Neck, Asthma, Neuralgia, Conges*
U°"> ri Ti S3 t Lun ? b ?g°
and Aches of the Back or Joints
t.£F" nS t Bruises, Qui
(lüften' ^prlvenU Pneumonfa)
At your druggist's, in 25c and 50c jars
and a special large hospital size for $2.SQ
Be sure you get the genuine MUS
TEROLE. Refuse imitations—get whal
you ask for. The Musterole Company,
Cleveland, Ohio.
r
I
M
SO THE IDAHO PUBLIC MAY KNOW
A Little Light on the Demands of the Railway Trainmen for an Unwar
ranted Increase in Pay Under the Guise of an Eight Hour Day. These
Men are Now the Highest Paid Class of Labor in the United States.
Some of the Many Fallacies in Their Arguments Exposed.
N ORDER that the thinking people of Idaho may not be misinformed as to the merits
of the pending wage controversy between the trainmen and the railroads, I consider it
proper at this time to present some unvarnished facts. So many loose and inaccurate ,
statements have been made, to state the matter with the utmost forbearance, that it isJ
difficult to deal patiently with the question. » 1 I
A typical illustration of the inaccuracies being offered to the public is found in a recent
advertisement in which the statement is madç that "when an engineer has drawn a check of'
$263 and a conductor a check for $247 for a month's work, the railway may call attention to
this, but neglect to say that these men worked 15 hours and 25 minutes every day in the
month and secured most of their sleep in a box car caboose out along the line." The state
ment is also made that "In other vocations a man can work at least 30 years—note the dif
ference in railway work." This would be more important and more pathetic if it were true.
There is not a train or engineman in the employ of the Oregon Short Line Railroad who
works 15 hours and 25 minutes every day in the month or anything like that number of
hours or days.
Our passenger trainmen work on an average slightly less than 7)4 hours per day during
each month. Freight crews work an average of less than twelve hours a day and for every
hour over ten hours they receive overtime prorata. The present rate of compensation is on
the basis of a ten-hour day; that is, the company pays miles or hours whichever is the great
er. For example, should a train average less chan ten miles per hour, compensation would
be upon that basis, overtime starting after the men had been on duty ten hours. On the
other hand, should they cover a district of 167 miles, as on the territory between Hunting
ton, Oregon, and Glenns Ferry, Idaho, in ten hours or less they would still be paid 167 miles,
or 1 3-5 day for one day's work. The demand for an eight-hour basic day contemplates re
quiring the railroads to pay their trainmen upon the basis of 12)4 miles per hour instead of
ten, which would result in a 25 per cent increase, and in addition to this unwarranted demand
they further desire to penalize the railroads by asking that time and one-half be paid for over
time, which would mean an increase of 87)4 per cent for overtime.
The statement that employes after years of faithful service are forced to depend upon
charity for support could not have been made for consumption in Oregon Short Line terri
tory. The people of Idaho know better. There is a Board of Pensions that meets every
month and every month some faithful employes are awarded a pension that insures them
from the acceptance of charity during the remainder of their days. There are several cases
of this kind in Boise, the beneficiaries being men who are well known to the people. A re
cent instance is that of Engineer Evan Williams, who after a service covering a period of 33
years, was recently retired on a pension. C. E. Heckman, who died in Boise last year, re
tired on a pension after 24 years' service as engineer. Frank Olmstead is another Boise res
ident who, after many years of service and who is still enjoying excellent health, is drawing
a pension from his former employers.
The statement made by the representatives of the employes that the age limit of enlployment on the rail
roads is fixed at from 21 to 35 years is incomprehensible. A. very considerable percentage of our employes are
over that, age, which fact is well known to the citizens of Idaho; indeed, many of our men continue physically fit
until they reach the ripe age of 65 when,' under the rules of the company, they are pensioned. In order to protect
the pension fund of the company against an excessive drain It is a rule, which rule, by the way, is dlstffmUy to
the benefit of all our employes and not alom the les» than 20 per cent constituting those In train and engine
service, not to hire inexperienced men over 35 years of age and those experienced over 45 years. On roads that
have not created a pension fund and where the employes have no such protection against the adversities of old age,
there are no restrictions as to age limit and in most such cases the men are complaining on account of its absence.
The advertisement contains a further statement, "A hodcarrier receives 34.60 for eight hours—or about 56
cents an hour," which everyone knows is really ludicrous. If such compensation ever obtained the case was iso
lated or the circumstances exceptional and the condition abnormal. Our passenger conductors, who are all pro
moted from freight service, earn approximately 67 cents per hour. After the completion of each day's work they
are freed of all responsibility, have nothing on their minds and have lay-over« at terminals ranging from 18 to 56
hours and 27 minutes. ^Thero is not another known line of industry where men have so much freedom for
tion and attention to personal matters. I cannot in this connection refrain from calling attention of the public to
tjie large number of employes in train and engine service on the Oregon Short Line who own their homes and are
otherwise in very comfortable circumstances. Many of these men have devoted their Jives to our service and
while so engaged have been able to accumulate a competency.
In the statement of the employes attention Is directed to the hawrd of train service. Statistics show that
railroad work is not as hazardous as many other lines of industry and while accidents occur, the Investigations
to determine the cause and place the blame in the majority of oases show that they are due to human failures—
disobedience of the rules or failure to use ordinary good Judgment. And In most Instances the party at fault had
been on duty but a few hours. The public can rest assured that the reduction of accidents and greater safety
cannot be accomplished by allowing certain favored employes to be paid for work not performed. Good, consci
entious work has never brought unfavorable or fatal results. Accidents throughout the United States have been
reduced and will continue to be reduced, but it will be brought about by employes realizing and assuming their
responsibilities and discharging them faithfully and efficiently.
The trainmen claim what they want is an Eight-Hour Day and that this will not result In. an Increase in
cost of opera!ion to the railroads. This statement and the corelated conditions are sufficiently answered and
explained by the Railway-Age Gazette In its issue of February 18th, as follows:
"The struggle is, directly, one between the railways and the train service employes who constitute less than
20 per cent of the total number of railway employes. But indirectly, and in a much more real sense, it is a
struggle between the 20 per cent cf railway employes who are the highest paid workingmen in America, and that
20 per cent of railway employes and of the public who are not as well paid. The statement that the other 80 per
cent of railway employes are not us well paid as those in train service is only too easily demonstrable. The fur
ther statement that,80 per cent of the public is not as well paid Is an estimate; but no man familiar with the
incomes in general In this country will very strongly challenge it.
"Why do we say the struggle Is directly, but mainly, one between the train service employes, and the other
20 per cent of railway employes and the other people of the country? If the proposed Increases in wages are made
either they will not be, or will be, offset by increases in rates. To the extent that they are not thus offset they
w111 make it extremely difficult, or even impossible, for the railways for years to come to Increase the wages of
their other employes. To the extent that they are offset by incrcasos in passenger and freight rates the consum
inK P"*» 110 wil1 P a M them. Who composes the consuming public? Is it made up entirely of capitalists and mil
Honaires? It is composed of 100,000,000 people, most of whom are far from being millionaires. It is composed
nftdnly of working people, farmers, small merchants, and salaried employes, and these are the people who ulti
mate, y pay the bulk of any Increases in rates which are made necessary by increases in railway wages,
" Now > iet us consider the comparative amounts of wages being paid to the train service employes, who num
,>or ln ,he f ntirr 1'nited States somewhat over 300.000, and to other railway employes, who are shout Tour and a
hal * tlmPS as numerous. The numbers of the first-named class, their total compensation and the average wages
por em P lo >' e in the fiscal year ended June 30, 1914, as shown by the statistics of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, were as follows:
m
recrea
Annual
Average
Compensation Per Employe
$1,771.50
1,037.48
. 1,633.03
1,023.20
Total
Number
. 61,365
. 64,335
. 47,621
.135,853
Engineers .
Firemen .
Conductors ....
Other trainmen
$108,727,032
«6.746,255
78,032,660
139,005,561
TOTAL
808.1 ri
$387,611,608
$1,253 37
"Compare the foregoing statistics'with similar figures regarding the wages of general office clerks, station
agents, other station men and section foremen. The figures for the latter class are as follows;
Annual
Averags
Compensation Per Employe
$ 75.429,665
31,341.367
109,134,046
84.390,180
Total
Number
. 87.106
. 89,147
.163,603
. 44,977
General office clerks....
Station agents .
Other station men.
Section foremen .
$865.96
813.38
607.06
764.62
334,833
$260,795,288 , 1 8749.18
"There were 25,659 more of these employes than of those in train service; but they received $136,716.250 less
The figures for station agents
It will be seen that the average station
little more than the average conductor, and almost
Each of them earned less than the average fireman or brakeman.
"Furthermore, the hours the train service employes work for a day's pay, and the number of days they work
in a month do not average as much as those of station agents, other section men, section foremen and other
employes. Practically no train service employe works more than 10 hours without overtime: thousands of them
average less than eight, and even 6 or 4 hours, for a day's wage; and many of them earn their large pay while
working only 20 to 25 days a month. The regular day of the section foreman is 10 hours, and he Is subject to call
every day. day or night, without compensation for overtime. His responsibilities are certainly as great as those
of any train service employe, because he is charged with the duty of keeping the track in safe condition,
station agent also has long hours, and would any disinterested person familiar with the facts seriously contend
that the amount of intelligence and energy required to oerform the duties of a station agent are not as great us
the amount required to perform the duties of an engineer or conductor?"
In the advertisement from which 1 have quoted the statement ls made "that a man working eight hours ls
more efficient, does better work, and is In every way n better citizen than a man working longer hours";
also been stated that as much work will be done by railway employes in eight hours as is now accomplished in
ten hours. A writer in the'Railway-Age Gazette of March 10th very truly says:
"The railways derive their revenue, not from running trains, but from handling traffic.
TOTAL,
In wages. The figures for general office clerks include those for all chief clerks.
Include those for agents at the largest as well as at the smaller stations,
agent and the average section foreman combined earned only
$200 less than the average engineer,
It has
... But to reduce the
loads of freight trains in order to run them faster, and thereby enable the train service employes to run 100
miles In eight hours, instead of ten hours, would necessarily reduce the number of ton miles moved In a day by
each train and each train crew. Therefore, the employes would not move as much traffic In eight hours as ln
ten; they would not 'do ten hours' work In eight hours."
"Obviously; if each employe, on the average, produced fewer ton miles—handled leas traffic—for a day's wage,
as would be the case under this plan, lt would be necessary to employ more men to handle the traffic. The result
would necessarily be an Increase in the total wages paid and ln the operating expenses of the railways the
amount of which would depend on the number of additional men that had to„be employed."
As a matter of fact, the men do not want an actual eight-hour day; what they are after ls a basic eiglft-hour
day. The trainmen's leaders some months ago were asked by a prominent periodical: "Would you favor and
advocate acceptance by the members of your brotherhoods of an eight-hour day schedule which provided first
that the mileage basis of compensation in railway train service should be abolished; and, second, that etght'hours
should constitute the working day of all employes in such service? The adoption of these two provisions ls ab
solutely necessary ln order to establish a real eight-hour day In railway train service."
None of these gentlemen have made any reply to the question.
E. E. CALVIN, Vice President Ö. S. L. R. R.
-Adv.