The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-19
ON RAILROAD LABOR.
Annual Report Of the Labor
Commissioner.
EARNINGS OF THE woRkMEh.


WAsafxsroy CRY. April is.-Commis
E;0ner Of Labor Wright, in his annual report
deals solely with railroad labor. the subject
being treated af great length. At the end
Of the last fiscal year the number OF rail
road corporations iE the United States was
approximately Ills. mileage l56. 400, mum
Der Of employees. So, 9l2. For the purpose
of investigation the railroads we're divided
into seven geographical groups Sixty
were selected representing ali parts OF the
country and ali conditions Of railroad 10
Dor and employing 24l 80 persons.
On the subject Of the relations Of the en-
ployes and the corporations. as to the Go
roads by which the real railroad business
OF the country is performed. it was found
that nineteen maintain beneficiary institu-
tons and few pay hospital expenses tor
men injured in their service. Very few
pay taxes for the support Of state and
county institutions. Tires or four con-
tribute 70 relief funds and several furnish
clubhouses for certain classes OF employees.
Six companies assert that they pension
their snperannuated employees and also
those permanently disabled A few more
give superannuated employees light work or
allow haif-time pay, while . number make
settlements upon the permanently DIS
abied
Two hundred and sixty-six companies
retain in their service permanently dis
abled employees. the number of such on
the rolls 81 the close OF the year 1855 being
3.l2l.
A very large number of roads provide
some system of technical education for the
men in their shops. A few have technical
schools for employees and in some cases for
their families.
Commissioner Wright discusses at length
what he calls the absurdity of the common
law now prevailing. which prohibits injured
employees from recovery of damages from
their employers. when their injury is the
company employing them.
The wages side of railroad labor is treated
very fully in tabulated statements. showing
the number of men employed BY the day or
month. by the mile, trip or piece, under
contract or on commission; also what pro-
portion of the year men are employed, etc.
As to wages. it 10 found that over 80 per
cent. are paid ct rates ranging from 81 to
$2 per day. The average daily rate Of all en-
ployes paid by specific time on sixty roads
Is $l-64. vet nearly 81 per cent. of the whole
number received less than the average rate
of all, while only about 80 per cent. re-
ceived above the average for all. 1t is also
shown that. of the whole number of en-
ployes l01 ,905 earn less than 500 per year,
1851 earn from SOL to $500 per year and
2l.5l7 earn from $40 to $500 per year. The
average earnings on ali the sixty roads per
year is $2A3. although less than Sd per cent.
earn this average. The report shows the
average daily rate Of pay in each Of the
seven groups of seventeen occupations.
The report further shows thai pa. $40 in
dividual men were employed on an aver
age LAT days each year. and they received
$2iS average actual earnings for the year
they were employed. These 224.57o men
were employed to ill los so7 positions; in
other words. II 105.s07 men had been en-
pioyed on full time. they would have ac-
complished the same results. The commits
sloDer, however. states that il should not
be concluded that these l1s, 1853 men are
out of employment. although it is . fact
that this feature of the problem offers q
field for discussion and investigation.