The sun., 1878-08-30
sssS ron FOURTEEN HOURS WORK.
what the street Railroad Conductors and
Drivers Say About the Last Reduction.

The conductors and drivers on the Third
avenue. Fourth and Madison avenues. and
Sixth avenue lines Of horse cars we're informed
wednesday morning that their pay had been re-
ducod from t2 to tl.75 day. The simultaneous
reduction was the result OF n conference OF the
officers of the three roads. few days ngO. to
consider the threatened loss of receipts by the
running OF the elevated cars. On the Fourth
and Madison avenue route tho shaving OF
wages. as it was called. had bocn expected by
tho omploycce. To the conductors and drivers
on the two other ronds II was n great surprise.
The first knowledge that the men on the FIRST
named road had of the change was in printed
noticcs. signed by President Phillips. which
they found stuck up at tho depot nt Sixty-nnh
street when they went to their work In tho
morning. On the Sixth avenue route the men
were told on reporting for work to 90 90 tho
sccretary's Office. where they received notice Of
the reduction.
On the Third avcnuc limo there arc 1870 cars
running. An employee sad that the lot Of con
ductors and drivers ia v,y hard. The long
hours make their work unintcrestinG md IA.
morning until they are FREQ again TO 20 TO their
homes ia from fourteen to fifteen hours with
the most oi them. This gives them no oppor-
tunity for homo enjoyment The pctual hours
OF working average about eleven hours day.
but the men all have moro or less OF what they
time hut brings thcm III no compensation The
swing over H. wh"n their cHrs are taken of from
running during certain hours oi the day and
night. when the travel Is slight In The four round
trips between Harlem and the City Hail. and
tho short trp from the depot in trst going out
which the conductors and drivers are required
to make to- bring their pay M to tl7j u day
under the reduced ratcs. there is ueually from
two to three hours. The first car out in the
morning starts from the depot at IA minutes
past o'clock. and the conductor and driver are
not through until 90 minutes pnst at night
and ~ ftNtl Mt
nbout 40 \. NJ. and are not done until SAD
I. NJ. Sometimes the men are de laycd on the
last trip from few minutes to an hour, which
happens often in winter when there is a block
THIS time does not count in their pay.
Under thc, reduced rates full trip from the
CITY Hall to Harlan and back pays forty cents.
run-on trip from the depot fifteen cents.
and from SiNty-ffth street to Harlem seven
cents. Tho men sny that few of them will he
ah" to make the one short trip nnd four full
trims To bring their pay up To 81 10 u day. the
| limit \ great many of them will not have u
| chance to earn more than 81 AZ or 81 81 u day.
| For some time paal the ranks Of the old mar
| ried men employed on the road have been
sinsl" .' or n@wiy.mariied led men. men, Tho Old Gdnds
| that remain do not know how they can feed.
| clothc. and pay rent for their families with the
pay now offered thom. They think that the
| road mak,s money enough to Afford 10 give
! them 81 a day.
A condurtor on the Fourth Avenue and Madl-
! son Avenue line. which IL owned by the stock
| holders of the Harlem Railroad said that the
| pay had been cut to s1.7j % day for eight trips
! Of about fourteen hours. Many Of the men Will
! find 1t impossible 10 make morr than scvcn
! trips u day Tor which they Will get sl.ji. or
| twenty-five c"nts a trip. Ont ot this they have
! to buy their lunches NJ thcy haven't time 20 70
| 60 their homes in the middle OF the day. There
/ are about eighty cnrs on the road doing q good
| business. The conductor thinks that. while the
! elevated roads may have tuken some pass"n n
| gers from the limo, they have not hurt 1t enough
| to Justify the present reduction.
| On tn. : Nth Avenue road the reason as
! signed for the reduction was a proposed re-
| duetion in passengers fares. II was said
| that the fare would shortly be reduced to three
| c'utS one Of the condu'ters SAID: " We can
! not uflOri 10 give M our jobs. Ii We do. there
are hundreds II others who would gladly take
| our places in anticipation Of making good
! steals.
ON the Third avenue and Lexington avenue
| road there WIS a reduction of the employ COS
! pay last month.
| The Eighth avenue AMI Broadway lines con-
! tinue 10 pay their men = u day. but they are
/ urc- rtaln how long It will last.