Wichita eagle., 1889-01-08
MISSOURI PACIFIC SALARIES.
A Reduction OF 10 Per Cent on Offcials and
Others.

hcuuStiOu Vi ~ teF Selt On OHCldiS Giiu
Others.
The railroad column of the st. Louis
Globe-Democrat of Sunday 9th inst, con-
tanned the following significant item in re-
gard to reduction of 10 per cent on some
of the Missouri Pacific officials and en-
plOyes that is of particular local interest
in this city for the reason that the head
quarters of the Fort Scott, Wichita &
Western branches of the Missouri Pa
cific are located here.
One result of the visit of General Man.
ager S. II. Fl. Clark, of the Missouri Pa
cific, to the Mikado of the system in New
York will be made painfully apparent to-
morrow. A neat little circular is being
prepared and will be distributed to the
heads Of departments here and throughout
the Missouri Pacific system announcing
that a general reduction of salaries, at the
rate of 10 per cent, will go into effect at
once. This reduction will apply to every
salaried employe whose name figures on
the pay roll for 500 per month and up
wards. The cut reaches all heads of de-
partments. 1t does not extend, however,
to conductors and the departments OF
mechanical labor.
In effectlng this policy of retrenchment
the Missouri Pacific will be simply falling
into line with other great systems east and
west, where the knife has been introduced
for several months past. A reduction of
10 per cent. on the pay roll of the Missouri
Pacific, with its control and operation of
between 5000 and 5000 miles Of road, how
ever, means great deal to the vast corps
of clerical he1psemployed here and at the
various centers throughout the west. Sal
aries range from $50 month to 500, while
heads of departments receive from s., 800
70 e. SO0 annuro fIbpr2 ra a few HIGH
salariod men beyond the maximum quoted,
aud they will be included in the cut. In
this, as in all measures, the Missouri Pa
cific management will contend that its
conservative policy has been adopted; that
it has not taken the lead in this matter;
that the operating expences must be re-
duced, and that the reduction will not
affect those employees whose pay is already
small enough for bare maintenance.
Upon inquiry at the Office of General
Manager Clark yesterday, it was stated
that the details of the matter would be de-
voloped tomorrow. and that meanwhile
nothing official could be made public from
that source.
The general Offices of the Missouri Paci-
fic branches in this city were visited yes
terday, but the officials said al
though they had received no official
notice of the above report, they had
not heard it contradicted and were
of the opinion that it was in all probability
correct.
OF this much, they felt assured. that
Just as soon as the business of the system
resumed its normal condition, the road
would replace the ten per cent. it is re-
ported to have cut from the salaries men
toned, as the Missouri Pacific has the rep
utation of paying its officials and en-
ployes the very best salaries paid in the
country. The reduction is indeed an I'M
pleasant thing, but it is a source of salts
faction, TO know. that it has not been ex-
tended to the lower salaried employees of
this large system,