The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-14

81 50 for days work on twelve hours All
overtime is paid for at the rate OF twenty
cents per hour
In connection with the matter of starva-
ton wages paid to engineers and firemen,
viii relate conversation had with an old
engineer on the Northeastern railway.
He said: Al have been running an en-
CINE on this road since iS72. without any
loss Of time. and If anything happened to
me today, 1 wouldn't have 80 $50 10 keep
me from want"
This man is one of their Oldest engineers.
and was putting through our special train.
! told him what wages we we're paid in
America. He looked 81 ne moment and
said:
my friend. am God-sesring man. and
what tell Won is the truth
happened 10 have a copy OF a scale of
wages paid on our road, which gave him.
thus saving myself irora being considered
untrutAfal, when told him our wages.
He said il was al he could do to keep his
family together and above want.
There are two classes of engineers. A
second-class man must run sn engine two
years before he can be promoted 70 the first
class. Then If he has bad luck or has vio-
charging or suSpending him. impose a fine
on him of one shilling ttwenty-four centsl
per day for length OF time designated by
his higher officer. The time may be one
week or a month. Ii he IS a iirst-class man
he IS also dropped to second-cIass pay for
the same length of time.
A fireman has 10 fire an engine six years
and then stand an examination before he is
va, ~ a.Nso
great many Inachinists promoted 30 engin-
GERS and put on branch lines, where engines
do not so near repair shops. Bat as gen.
eral rule firemen make better engineers for
main line service, as there is more practice
and less theory in their work And in
America find this is invariably the case,
our best and most successful engineers being
those promoted from firemen.
The moral and physical condition of en-
gineers and fremen in Great Britain is
something they should be proud Of An
American engineer or fireman, il put under
the same restrictions and conditions under
which they live, would go crazy. Mentally,
the American is superior. He is better ed
ucated and naturally quick in his actions
decided contrast 10 his slow, easy-going
brother English engineer. There is not one
NA'S-tsSSi oNt VI WIZ pN4As
the house in which he lives.
tits impossible for him 10 save enough
money to purchase lot. much less TO build
on it. Engineers on the North British and
Caledonian railways receive Sl.75 per day
of twelve hours, some days making 225
miles within the twelve hours. If short
day. or day of less than twelve hours. is
made. and the following day more than
twelve hours is made, the overtime is offset
against the short day.
To make it more plain. an engineer has
to work twelve hours each day to make
full week OF seventy-two hours before he re-
ceives any overtime. II any overtime is
made il is paid for at the rate OF twenty-five
cents per hour.
Boarding costs So per week in most Eng
lish towns. and single meals from fifteen to
twenty cents. 4 cottage of from four TO
five rooms rents from s. to Sc per month
teree-room house from IS to $3.50. Vegeta-
bles arc cheap but fresh meats and other
eatahles are very high. No workman has
fresh meat more than twice, and very often
once q week