The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-08
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS.


LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS
THEIR sALARIEs-METHoD OF PAYMENT
INTERESTING FACTS FROM AN INsIDER.
An exchange publishes a letter from a cor
respondent dealing in a very intelligent
manner with the question of wages of
railroad employees. He says: Under
the head OF editorial comments in the
November number of the Travellers
Official Guide, an article entitled 'rail-
way engineers and their wages"
appears to have been written by some one
who was either very n sided in his views
or else did not care to admit the whole
truths; in fact he cOnceals very important
statements favorable to the engineers.
Several such articles having appeared in
the Guide and other publications, 1t
seems to be the right tim to
publish to the world the truth of the mat
ter, and let the public judge. Now. l am
not, never have been, nor never expec TO
be a locomotive engineer, and as L have. been
for years employed in active railroad
service where | was in daily con-
tact with engineers, / believe L can
give ex parte evidence. For the
benefit of those who are not informed, L Will
mention that with few exceptions locomo-
tive engineers are paid by the mile, not by
the month, consequently when business Is
dull these men suffer more in proportion
than their employers, the railroad companies.
This important fact is very carefully con-
cealed by these persons who take such de-
light in traducing the engineers. These
writers not only take great care to parade
the statement that the roads are doing apoor
businessmen able to pay interest-sre gen.
orally in a poverty-stricken condition, etc,
etc, but take still more pains to conceal the
fact that, such being the case as regards the
roads,, the engineers are in a suffering con-
dition, or at best, are barely able to
MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET.
Managers can nave meetings, lay plans,
and proceed to enforce starvation wages upon
their employees, or raise freight and passen-
ger rates % per cent, and not a word be said
against any or all of their arrangements;
but let the engineers "protest most
earnestly against any reduction" and
it is proclaimed from Maine to
Mexico by these toadies of the press, call
ing it San effort at tyranny" ian outrage
upon Justice" and speak of the Language
of dictasion" asif an American freeman had
not the right to protest against that which
he knew would bring want and suffering to
his wife and children. Speaking of the pro-
test. the writer in the Guide says: "If these
words mean anything, they mean
the locomotive engineers know bet
Ter LDdu III OtDtT D6ISOuo IDt
financial condition of all railroad companies
that they know better than the managers
and accounting officers what their receipts
and expenditures are, and therefore they
are the best authority as to what wages the
various companies can and ought to pay"
Now, thisi is all Dosh, land the writer knows
it), written to please certain stock
holders and officials, and to delude
the public. The locomotive engineers do
know what their own receipts and expendi
lures are, and therefore they are the best
authority as to what are the lowest wages
they can support themselves and families
on. Quoting again, the writer says, 'the
man who drives an engine has no more
right to demand from a railroad company
a certain fixed sum of none
for his services, than the widow
and orphan have to demand the dividends
upon their stock" etc., etc. 1t is plain ifthe
writer knew anything at all about what he
was writing, he knew that the locomotive
engineers, as a rule, do not get, nor do not
ask tor a certain fixed sum of money for
their services,' nor do they ask for an adj.
vance in their wages; they expect when
business is dull to suffer the consequences,
still they do not want their wages cut down
to such a low figure
DURING HI BUS SEASON,
that when the slack season is at hand they
will not have the means of support. An.
other ~favorite plan of these writer's is TO hun
up some engineer who, by force of circum.
stances, has been running night and day fol
the greater part OF a month, probably mo-
having taken off his clothes halt {
dozen times, who had to sleep on his
engine and get along with one or tive
meals per day duaing most OF that time
They find that by this extraordinary
endurance on his part be has earned posi-
bly, $40. Without counting out any fol
Doctors bills, they multiply this sum by 1:
and declare that all engineers get princely
salaries, ranging from 81 900 to g, 900 per an,
mum. Why is it not as well 10 state that dur
ing the slack season they do not average S6C
per month";? or why do not they have at leasi
honor enough to mention that engines fire.
quently need repairs, and when his engin,
is laid up the engineer must take his chances
to make even his board during the month
or six weeks that his engine is idle. If To-
connective engineers are the villainous sci
that these traducers would nave the public
believe. the truth will be bad enough. anC
by sticking TO it, these writers may stand
better chance OF avoiding the fate mentioned
in the 2lst chapter of Revelations, latte
half OF Sth verse.