St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-18
No Action Taken by Railroad
Officials Regarding an
Increase.
Petitions Circulated Among
the Men--No Prospects Of
a Strike.
Increased Cost Of Caring for
the Wards of the
State.
Local Topics Which Rewarded
the Efforts Made by Globe
Reporters.

As announced in yesterdays GLOBE.
negotiations ale pending between the
Switchmen's Mutual Aid associations
of st. Paul and Minneapolis and the
general managers of the different lines
of railways operating in the two cities
looking to an adjustment of the scale OF
wages now paid switchmen working in
the several railroad yards of the Twin
Cities. Under the schedule now in
force day switchmen receive 1925 per
day, and foremen $500, ten hours con-
shutting a days work, with extra pay,
at the rate of 20 cents an hour, for all
overtime. Night operatives work thir-
teen hours for about the same pay per
hour. A switchman's duties are OF a
rather general order, it being necessary
for them to do braking, coupling, switch
ing, and, in fact, all the labor necessary
in transferring cars from one track
to another not performed by the engi-
neer and fireman and brakemen. From
the nature of their work they are sub
ject to exposure in all kinds of weather,
and their laborS are necessarily fraught
with more or less danger. These facts
constitute the principal reasons for
their action in endeavoring to secure
more pay. About $50 switchmen are
employed in st. Paul, and nearly
equal number in Minneapolis. From
the switchmen themselves nothing def
mite could be learned, nearly every
member of the association responding
to the iuterrOgations of a GLOBE repre-
sentative with II have nothing to say;
don't know anything about it,"
Several employees of the different
roads not members of the association
were seen regarding the matter, and
while they were generally of the opin-
ion that something interesting was
transporting, none of them seemed to
know the inside facts.
Frank A. Custer, assistant yardmaSter
of the Manitoba. said: 81 don't know
anything whatever about it. | have
not received any information concern
ing the matter from any source what
ever-either from men or officials"
William S. Dunn, yardmaster of the
Wisconsin Central, said: Il have
heard nothing from switchmen them
selves. but learned that petition had
been prepared and circulated asking
for an advance in wages. 1t was in the
form of a request. not demand"
J. B. Rice, Division Superintendent of
the Manitoba have not received any
demand or request from Switchmen. 1t
would not necessarily come to me, but
might be made to the general superin-
tendent. | would certainly have heard
of it, though, had such demand been
made.
From Supt. Brunson, of the union
depot yards, it was learned that the
switchmen had addressed communica-
tions to the general managers of the
different roads. Their communications
had been considered at the meeting Of
the general superintendent held in
st. Paul yesterday, but no action was
taken in the matter. The meeting
was not to consider this proposition,
but more for the purpose of effecting an
organization. The petitions of the
switchmen. which were very respect
fully worded, were discussed, however,
but the meeting did not act upon them"