The Osceola times., 1877-08-11
The Wages the Railroad Men Struck
Against.

The strikers on the Baltimore and
Ohio have put their demands in writing
and they think that the figures ought
to be higher than ever before. In fact
they demand higher wages than the road
ever paid. When the war broke out in
1861 engineers were getting from s1.33
TO 81, firemen gill to $l.75, and brake
men 81 to $l.33. The wages against
which they struck were 1925 to 1928 for
engineers and $l.35 to $50 for fremen
and brakemen. This is little less then
in 1861 for the engineers, about the same
for the firemen and ten or fifteen per
cent. more for the brakemen. They
demand 1880 TO 81 for engineers and 50
as a minimum for fremen and brakemen,
which is about one-third more than in
1861. Vice-President Kings answer,
though courteous and polite, is not
entirely candid. He refers to the panic
of 1873 and the consequent falling off in
traffic, and says that the Baltimore and
Ohio company was the last company
which competes for the great trade OF
the west which made the reduction of
ten per cent. This Is intended to convey
VIC iucd tuut tho DhitiuiOfc Anu Ouio
had since the panic been the last to
reduce the wages of its employees. This
is fallacious. During 1873 they could
make ten or eleven days a week at 90 a
day, by extra work. When the panic
came reduction was made putting the
regular pay at $3.50, taking off extra
time and the extra half day for Sundays.
In A ugust further reduction of twenty
per cent. or fifty per cent. was made, and
the firemen got Sl.75 and $3.50. This
shows that the reduction has amounted
to over fifty per cent. since 1873, and
the work has been increased by length.
ening the trains and reducing the num-
Der of brakemen.
The strikes on the Pennsylvania was
against wages almost AS high as the ex-
treme demands OF the Baltimore and
Ohio employees, and quite as much, il
their statement is true. Under the re.
duction engineers got from $4S.SS to
$92.23. II the men on the Baltimore
and Ohio only made eighteen days in
their best months these wages on the
Pennsylvania were certainly greater
than the former asked for. The Erie
was the next road where the men began
to starve. Some of their men were
making more than tine fondest dreams
ot the Baltimore men, and were doing
less work, Nevertheless they could
not "buy bread for their families" and
they struck. The New York Central
was paying less than either Of the
last two named roads, though more thar
the Baltimore and Ohio. The run wa
about the same. On the Lake Shore thu
wages were lower still, being as follows
For hundred mile runs, engineers, 1928
fireman sl.l9, and brakemen. $l35
These might be increased by overwork
On the New Jersey Central wages wer,
the highest known, though the road was
in the hands OF a receiver. The hand,
struck for the only reduction mad,
since the war, and that a slight one
three months ago. Even under tina
engineers got an average of $40, fire
men $66, and brskemen $45 durin,
June. The Lehigh Valley was about a
an average. II was paying more thai
the Baltimore and Ohio before the re
duction. The Delaware, Lackawann
and Western scale did not vary mucl
from that OF the Lehigh Valley. Tn
following gives summaryof the averag
wages on the principal roads concerne'
in the strike: