The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-06
TO BE PAID BY THE MILE.
THE CBNTRAL's NEW CONTRACT
WITH ITS ENGINEERS.

Instead Of a Per Diem Compensation
The Agreement Signed After G
Four Days Conferencs-A Confer
ence With the Firsmen To-day, and
the Conductors Tomorrow.
The agreement between the management
Of the Central railroad and the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers defining the rela-
tons OF the engineers with the manage
ment, their duties and compensation
for the ensuing year, was oomplsted late
yesterday afternoon. The conference was q
lengthy one.
A MORNING NEWS reporter saw General
Manager Gabbett at the Central railroad
Office after the agreement was COM
pleted. Those composing the conr
ference were Mr. Gabbett, Chief
Superintendent of TRANSPORTATION, Starr,
Superintendent Of Motive Power Gibbes and
the division superintendents and master
mechanics of the four divisions of the Gem
trail on the part of the road, and on the
part of the brotherhood a committee called
the committee OF adjustments. composed of
six engineers from the different lodges Of
the brotherhood, which are formed Of Cen
trail railroad engineers with W. 0. Ryan Of
Savannah as chairman.
SIGNED AFTER SOME DAYS.
The conference began Saturday morning
and continued Saturday, Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday. The time was occupied in
discussing the details Of the contract to be
entered into between the Central and
the engineers, designating their
duties and the compensation they should re-
ceive during the twelve months beginning
Nov. l, 1890. The reason of the session De-
ing of such duration was that the basis Of
the proposed contract was different from
that Of any previous contract made by the
company and its engineers. Prior to
the above date the compensation was
on per diem rate. The new contract is
based upon a mileage rate, which was
foreign in practice to the engineers and the
company, necessitatinge lengthy discussion.
The result of the conference was that a
contract was agreed upon between the COM
pany and their engineers on the basis Of
the mileage principle, and the rates paid
by other railroad corporations of q
similar character to that Of the Central,
which was satisfactory to all parties inter
ested.
THE BASIS OF THE CONTRACT.
The basis Of the contract provides that
engineers running on main lines shall re-
ceive for passenger trains 3 cents per mile,
on way freight runs ~ cents per Hsile. and
on through freight runs. 4 cents
per mile. Fer engineers Of branch lines
and switching engines the compensation
Is based upon the per diem rate as hereto
fore, the amount which they receive for
their services being practically unchanged.
BY the newly adOpted principle Of com
pensation It Is claimed by the cotapany, and
Is practically conceded by the engineers,
that the engineers operating their engines
Will receive more money at the end OF each
month than they have been receiving
heretofore, for the reason that no more men
viii be kept on the companys pay roll than
Is absolutely necessary 10 handle the trafac
offered for movement. This system OF CON-
pensation will also put stop 30 the series OF
misunderstanding arising from time to
time between the subordinate officers of the
road and the engineers, and will create a
more harmonious feeling throughout the
system among its employees.
This 10 the first time that this system of
paying engineers he's been in vogue on the
Central railroad system since its organiza-
ton, and the management hope that the re-
rults will be beneficial, not only to the COM
pany, but to the engineers.
THE MILEAGE SYSTEM.
The mileagesystem is in use upon all rail-
road systems of similar magnitude to
the Central, aad many smaller ones. On
many systems the change from the per
diem rate was made by the petition of the
engineers themselves By the per diem
rate the freight engineers have been max
ing an average of S. 25 per day, and the
passenger engineers an average of 81 per
day. By the mileage system it is oalcu-
lated that the average will be about the
same, with the probability of an increase,
The system of examining an engineer
seeking employment or promotion by the
new contract necessitates his being sub
1ected to an examination by a board con-
slsung of three locomotive engineers of the
system, who will submit their report TO the
division master mechanic and division SUI
perintendent, who will consider and analyze
the report before making the appointment
or promotion. This method was agreed
upon to enable the company to secure COM
petent engineers.
The minor details Of the contract, specify
ing the duties of engineers and the control
exercised by the management, are about
the same as in previous contracts. The
feature of the contract is the change in the
manner of compensation.
The engineers will report the contract at
the subsequent meetings Of the various
lodges of the Brotherhood, but the terms
have become generally knoA n already and
no complaints have been heard.
TO MEET THE EIREMES TO-DAY.
To-day the same body Of Ceatral railroad
officials that conferred with the engineers
will meet with the representatives Of the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Firemeu to
discuss the duties and compensations for
the flremen in the employ Of the company,
and to agree upon contract for the ensuing
year. The usual pay of a fireman is one
half that received by an engineer, and it is
proposed to make an agreement with them
based upon the same principle as that in the
engineers oonrract-the mileage rates given
to fremen will be just half those given TO
the engineers. or from 4 60 21s cents. per
mile, according to the class of train.
Tomorrow the officials will be met by the
representatives of the conductors in the
employ of the company to discuss the same
subjects already discussed by the engineers
and fremen aud make an agreement for
the ensuing year.
Mr.. Gabbett said that it is recognized by
the company that such a course each year
is advisable, as an opportunity is given to
the employees to bring before the officers as
a body such matters of difference as have
arisen during the preceding twelve months
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