Daily Republican., 1886-03-01
The Railroad Relief Fund.

The Railroad Relief Fund.
The following notice has been issued
by Manager Pugb, Of the Pennsylvanis
Railroad : The feature of the relief
fund requiring employees entering the
service Of the company or receiving
promotion therein TO accept Its provi-
sions having been found Objectionable,
notice is now given that NO one at pres.
ent is. on entering the service. obliged
TO become member, and the regula-
ti0n:will be modified accordingly. AS
some employees may have become
members under misrepresentation Of
Its features, the Penusylvania Railroad
Company and the other companies
interested will contribute to the Relief
Department the full amount OF the con-
tributions for February and March due
from employees who have made appli-
cation for membership, which would
otherwise have been deducted from
their February pay. II there be any
who desire to withdraw, the regu-
lations will be 30 modified rs to permit
withdrawal by notice beieg given be-
fore March 25th, 1886. Under the pro
visions of this notice no deductions will
be made from the employees for Feb
ruary. CHARLES z. PUGH.
A meeting Of railroad employees was
held yesterday afternoon and the dele
gates instructed by n unanimous vote
to oppose any inHuranoe or relief plan
that may be proposed by the company y
ut the conference tomorrow.
The following are the delegates from
the Maryland division : FlrSt class,
Harry A. Russell and Samuel l..
Bishop; second. g. @. Fox and j. b
Cash third, k. j. Sherry and Allen B
Dance; fourth, A. j. Hyland and W.
II. Phillips fifth, II. G.. Baker and j.
j. Cooper sixth, John j. Hayes and
George McCliBtock.
The Philadelphia Record Of to-day
says: One powerful argument urged In
opposition Is EN- braced in the story OF
the inception Of the scheme rs given
by one of the officials: Four years
ago q scheme was devised which was
partially Insurance and partially civi!
service in It's features. IL provided for
pensioning old employees aud for an OK
|amination for an established basis OF
competency and merit In promotions
This would have done away with the
practice OF sending striplingS from
Philadelphia to the Altoona shops for a
period of a few weeks and then ap-
pointing them to soft places In theengi'
neer corps.
"The pattern of this plan was an
English one, and was strongly urged by
Mr. McCrea, who Is now managing the
Western lines of the company. The
pension plan failed to ripen, and the
actuary of one OF the English com
panies was brought over here and was
eDtertained for summer at New York
while figures and details were being OK
tracted from him. Subsequently an
agent of the company went abroad to
study up the various systems, aud he
spent one year In his Investigations.
"Finally, after three other schemes
had been rejected, q proposition having
many of the features Of the present
plan was drafted. But the legal de-
partmeDt got its fingers into the scheme
aud 1t rejected an idea that was much
cherished by the management. 1t ap-
pears that there Is q large drain from
the compaIy's treasury topay losses for
killing or injuring employees. In 1884
according to the report sent to the Sec
retary OF Internal Affairs, there were
20 employees killed aud 662 iDju red on
the Pennsylvania Railroad.
"Ot these the company alleged thai
only fatal cases and 118 other caseI
we're due to causes beyond control, 6!
deaths and 548 injuries being charEe
able 10 carelessness or misconduct, II
protect the company from the heavy
I tax which these cases entailed it wa
proposed TO fix up an insurance schem
that would save this money to the com
pany. In other words The employees
having signed away all claim 10
damages, would be forced through thei
contributions TO the insurance fund y
pay themselves the losses attendan
upon these deaths and accidents.
" The employees said the insuranc
scheme meant the death of their mutua
Insurance associations and PRACTICAL
DESTROYED all organization among EN-
lployes 1t was for that reason tha
they objected to the compulsion.
The Brotherhood OF Locomotive En
gineers sent very significant m sssag'
to tho management through commit
tee with headquarters at Rochester, N
Y. The orzaniZ alton iDtlmated that
Icompulsion wera insisted upon ther
would be strike. Subsequently al
appointment WAS made by Genera
Manager Pugh to meet the commit'e
in Rochester on Wednesday, March 3
but II is thought that, In view OF tn
published notice OF the withdrawal o
the compulsory feature, Mr.. Pugh vii
NOT be expt cted to go to Rochester.
The employees of Division, No. /, o
the Pennsylvania Railroad centerinl
in Camden, held meeting on SAturda
! night, at which all classes were repre-
sented. After q fnll discussion IL wa
resolved not to accept the proposed Re
lief plan.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Feb. 28-Th
em ploy ees of the Philadelphia division
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad held
meeting In this city TO day and adopte
q resolution earnestly protesting aRaini
the relief fund 10 it's present shape. G
auy modification OF II, and instructin
the representatives of the division
take determined stand against it {
the meeting in Philadelphia on Tuesds
next.
Babies are too highly priced to
Ipermi,ted to suffer With collie, or 9TH
4