St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-06
A POORLY PAID PROFESSION.
The Railroad Telegraph Opera
tors See a Discrimination.

me Ra1iPOau IeleSrapn opera
tors See a Discrimination.
To the Editor of the Globe.
In your issue of Feb. % | notice an
article, "Work, Worry and Injustice"
from an operator, and as see you kindly
give space even to a poor operator in
your widely circulated paper, venture,
though unaccustOmed to write for the
public, to take the subject up, with the
hope that some one more competent will
follow and agitate the matter, until the
public are fully informed as to the i'm
pOrtance and responsibility of the tele-
graph operators position.
In the handling of passenger and
freight trains we frequently read of the
responsibility resting on the train dis
patcher, the terrible consequences that
would follow from conflict of orders,
etc., and none but man of cool, calm
and deliberate Judgment should be in
trusted with a position so responsible,
and the salary should be sufficient to
command such men. Then we are re-
called with the Importance, response
bility and ability of the engineer and
conductor, etc. This is an every day
topic, but do not understand me that |
under estimate their positions or ability.
No one realizes it or comedies
it more cheerfully. But why
is not the responsibility and
importance of the operator recognized,
especially by the management, to give
them something like equal pay? On an
average they do not now get as much as
brakeman. Surely the operator who
is intrusted with the receiving and de-
livering of orders is entitled to it. The
conductor is responsible for carrying
out the dispatcher's orders. Both are
dependent on the operator to receive
and write verbatim, and plainly, the
order. Should he omit one word, or
add one, disastrous results follow.
Now, as a matter of fact, are the con-
ductOrs and engineers and dispatchers
men of more ability than the operator?
| say decidedly no, if the operator is a
man, come to the age of maturity; if the
operator is boy, l cOncede they are.
Ninety-nine operators out of hundred
who have come to the age of maturity,
and worked as railroad operators, are
competent to fill the place of con-
ductOr, but conductor cannot fill the
place of the operator. Then what's the
cause of the discrepany in the salaries?
First, the operators are not organized;
second, the telegraph service is done by
BOYS (kids who should be at SCHOOL,.
Railroad managers understand this;
they dare not put boy in charge of a
train. He would come in contact with
the public, and they would raise such
howl at such criminal proceedings as
would swamp the road and manage
ment. They would risk too much to
give boy the handling of trains, but
on the line he will not come before the
public and he can do well enough, and
he, being boy, will work for S30-yes,
S25-per month, and the public compla-
Gently take their seats, unaware they
are trusting their lives to boy hand
ling telegraph orders under which
trains are run. An operator works just
as many hours as the dispatcher re-
ouireS him for the movement of trains,
but never less than twelve hours, often
sixteen and more, and every Sunday,
sure. But don't he get extra pay for
extra time? Never; but he gets fired if
he isn't prompt. l write this in the
hope that some one more able will take
the matter up and agitate it until rail
road managers are made to feel the in
justice they are doing us and recognize
that we are an important factor in the
running of railroad. OPERATOR.