The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-19
WAGES OF RA|LROADERS.
Interesting Report on the Subject
by the Commissioner of
Labor.
Nearly Seven Hundred Thousand
Men are Employed in All
Capacities.
Beneficiary Institutions and How They are
Supported-Average Wages, $1.64-
Number of Days Employed.

WASHINGTON, April 1S.-Commissioner o1
Labor Wrigh in his annual report, deal.
solely with the railroad labor subject, be.
ing treated at great length. At the end Of
the last fiscal year the number of railroad
corporations in the United States was ap.
proximately 1,718, mileage Log, 400, number
of employees 6S9,912. For the purpose OF
investigation railroads are divided into
seven geographical groups. Sixty were Sc
lected representing all parts of the country
and all conditions of railroad labor, and
employing A1, $40 persons. On the subject
of the relations of employees and corpora.
tions as to the 600 roads by which the real
railroad business of the country is per.
formed, it was found that nineteen main
tain beneficiary institutions, and few pay
hospital expenses for men injured i'll serv-
ice. Very few pay taxes for the support of
state and county institutions. Three
and several furnish club houses for
certain classes of employees. Six companies
assert that they pension their superannuat-
ed employees and also those permanently
disabled. A few give superannuated en-
ployes light work or allow, half time pay,
while number make settlements upon per
manent disability. Two hundred and sixty
manently disabled, the number of such on
the rolls at the close Of the year 1888 being
III. very large number of roads pro-
vide some system Of technical education
for the men in their shops. A few have
technical schools for their employees, and
in some cases for their families. Commits
sioner Wright discusses at length what he
calls the absurdity Of the common law now
prevailing. which prohibits injured en-
plOyes from recovering from their employ
ers, when the injury is the result Of negli-
gence or unfitness of company employees.
The wages side Of railroad labor is treated
very fully in tabulated statements, showing
the number Of men employed by the day,
month, mile, trip, piece, under contract or
on commission; also, what proportion of
the year the men are employed. Az to
paid at rates ranging from 81 to $2per day.
The average daily rate Of all employees paid
by specific time on sixty roads is $1.64; vet
nearly 81 per cent of the whole number re-
celved less than the average rate for all. It
is also shown that while of the number of
employees l01 ,905 earn less than 800 per
year, 81 62l earn from $101 to 500 per year,
and q ,517 earn from e2l0 to $500 per year.
The average earnings on all of the sixty
roads per year is $243.
Ihe report further shows that 224, $40 in
dlvldual men were employed on an average
OF l47 days each q year, and they received
$243 average actual earnings for the year
employed. These 224, $50 men were en-
ployed to fill 105,8 Iositions. In other
words, if 105, ,8O7 men had been employed on
full time they would have accomplished the
states that it should not be concluded that
these liz, 763 men are out of employment,
although it is fact that this feature of the
problem offers field for discussion,