Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-25
THE SANTA FE CUT.
What the Trainmen Think
of the Matter.
A CONVENTION SUMMONED.
Vice-President G. w. Smith Inter
viewed Regarding the Re-
ductiOn.

The 10 per cent reduction of pay o
the Santa Fe road is the chief topic {
conversation among railroad men in thi
city. and the employees OF that compan
are quite willing to express their opir
ions on the matter. Duling chat with
California Southern trainsman yesterda
HERALD scribe remarked that the mem
bers OF the operating department wer
doubtless glad that the power of thei
organizations exempted them from an,
cut.
"Do you know" was thereby 'that tn,
Santa Fe is trying to make similar re
auction with its trainmen, to the one j
has made in the clerical establishments p
well, that is so. Nothing has beer
done openly as yet, but sufficient hints
have been thrown out to show which
way, the wind is blowing. Trainmakel
Beale, of the Needles, sounded one of the
engineers the other day and asked him
II he thought the boys would stand a
Temporary cut. He was told that thew
would without a doubt object very
strongly, SO the matter dropped for the
time being. From other hints
gwen out, it became evident that a pro-
position to reduce the pay of engineers
nremen aud swltchmen was in hand, so a
meeting was called of representatives OF
those organizations for Friday afternoon
at San Bernardino. Nothing was done,
however, as it was generally understood
that the men would not stand the reduc-
ton unless the company would guarantee
to put the wages at the old basis in four
months time, and even then it is by no
means certain that the proposition would
be accepted. Firemen are hard to handle
when the question of reducing their
wages comes up. In 1869 General Man
ager Towne, of the Southern Pacific, sue
cessfully carried through 10 per cent.
cut and essayed another in 1877, but the
last failed dismally, and ever since then
the Southern Pacific has never spoken
OF shaving salaries, and is looked on in
railroad circles as the bulwark of labor
this side OF the Missouri river. The
Southern Pacific is a very exacting COM
pany to work for, but it is always
on hand with the money and
pays the best wages of any rail-
road in the States. The Santa Fe
is probably more popular with its en-
ployees, though, for it is very generous
in its treatment of them, and it is possi-
BILE that if the boys thought they could
help the company out of hole by hav-
ing their wages shaved for four months
they would consent. Nothing official has
been said to us go far on the subject, and
should it be We will call convention
and abide by its decision. 1t is the i'm
preston that the Santa Fe can carry the
cut into effect among the Kansas train
men, but in New Mexico and
California they are liable to have
trouble if they attempt it. 1
understand that the men in the shops
here had their hours reduced, which of
course means reduction of pay"
WHAT A PENMAN SAID,
One OF the members of the clerical es-
tablishment in the Phillips Block was
next seen, and he said: "Our principal
grievance here is that the order telling
us of the reduction was not issued until
the goth of November, but took effect
from the first of the month. That is the
reason why the man quit in the auditors
office; he demanded his regular pay
for November, and as we understood
the edict, it said that those who refused
the cut we're at once to resign. | see
that you were informed yesterday by
one of the officials that the majority OF
the working staff here gets SIS month.
He should have said $65, and when you
deduct 10 per cent. from that you can
see how insufficient the salary is.
especially to those of us who are married.
A lot of the boys are making arrange
ments to quit, and as you said yesterday
the company will lose its best men as a
result of the mOye.D
MR.. c. W. SMITH INTERVIEWED.
The HERALD man then hunted up Mr.
g. W. Smith, First Vice-President of the
road, who has been passing the last week
in Los Angeles, and the following con-
versation ensued:
keporter-Can you tell me whether
the ten per cent. reduction in the wages
of the employees of your road is only to
remain in effect four months?
Mr.. Smith, do not know anything
about it. did not know that the orders
of the reduction had been issued here.
Reporter-They have been given to
the employees in the Treasurer's and
Auditors departments in the Phillips
Block.
Mr.. Smith-Then you had better see
them about it. do not know anything
at all about the matter. Good day.
r nj nha Suufvn.