The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-20
Pennsylvania Conductors,
Brakemen and Baggage
men Want Ten Per
Cent More.
1t IS NOT A THREAT.
The Men Say They Only Want the
Cut Of ~ Restored
to Them.

OF the New York division of the Pennsyl-
Vania Railroad to get the company to in
crease the pay of the men ten per cent.
The movement has only just been started
among the passenger conductors, brake
men and baggagemen of that division.
and no request has been laid before the
company,
Ii is doubtful whether the company
would grant the request, coming as it
will SO quickly after the strike on the
New York Central The Pennsylvania
officials think it strange that the men
should pick out such time for preparing
their demand, arguing that it savors ot
intimidation. No conference has vet
been held, however, between the officials
and the committee of employees that has
the matter in charge, and the railroad
officials decline yet to state what action
will be taken. 1t is limited, however. that
it may possibly be the policy of the
road to refuse the employees request at
this particular time. No one thinks that
even II the request of the men is refused
there will be any trouble. The railroad
officials think all will be settled quietly
and the men themselves deny that they
intend resortfng to force to obtain the in
crease to be petitioned for
THE 10 PER CENT. CUT OF III
Inc increase Is to be asked for by the
men as restitution. In 1877 the pay Of
every employee of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road was reduced 10 per cent. THE man
claim that when this reduction was made
President Scott promised that as soon as
the financial condition of the company
warranted it the 10 per cent would be re-
stored. The passenger men ON the New
York division say that other divisions
nave had this 10 per cent. restored, but
their division has not
An important official of the PennsyI-
yania Railroad said last night to a re-
porter that SO far as his knowledge ex-
tended the 10 per cent. had never been
universally restored in any division. Sew
eral divisions had asked for it, but it had
never been granted. Individual and spe-
cial instances existed, the official said.
where the pay of employees had been in
creased, but nothing like a declared res :
toration OF the old rate, applying gener-
ally to any part of the system, had been
made.
Although this ten per cent. has never
been restored, the official went on to saw.
''in my opinion the men are getting
better pay now than they did in 1877
They are paid so much trip, and now
they are able to make more trips each day
than they could then. Trips that it took
them a day and a half or two days to
make then they can now make in one day
The men make good wages, and don't
think they are dissatisfied Another
thing is that there are few men who were
brakemen in 1877 who are still brakemen.
They have been promoted. The men have
chosen a bad time to make this request
It's funny that they always seem to choose
the time that there is some labor trouble
going on somewhere y
The men will ask that the conductors
wages be increased from 49, 25 to 50, so or
$500 day; brakemen from 81 65 to 81 SO.
and that baggagemen who now get 81. IS
be paid 50, and those getting ST. go be paid
50 10.
The men are very hopeful of getting the
increase. They say that President Scott
was always willing to make the increase,
but died before his wishes could be car
ried out. The hopes of the men have been
raised Dy the fact that all freight men be-
tween Pittsburg and New York had their
pay increased by from to Is per cent. on
june !. At the same time the passenger
men of the Pittsburg division had their
pay increased slightly. This was done
very quietly. and the men knew hardly
anything about it until it was accom-
plished.
The Pennsylvania Railroad offic iais are
unoficially aware of the moveme MT, but
until the men themselves come to some
definite action in the matter and bring
up the thing officially no notice will he
taken of it. The opinion among the OIL
cials is that if the petition were made at
at any other time 1t would be more likely
to be granted.
THE MEN ARE IN EARNEST.
A talk with number of employees Of
the Pennsylvania company this morning
at the depot showed that the conductors,
brakemen and baggage masters are in
earnest IN the effort to obtain the ten per
cent. increase. A brakeman who enjoys
the confidence of all the employees, said
that the petition that had been drawn up
TO be presented to the company had been
very numerously signed and would no
doubt have the signatures of all this class
of employees when handed to the COM
pany.
when we first started the move" said
he I'VE took in the conductors, who re-
ceive very good salary now. Some of
the men objected to allowing the conduc-
tors in the move, because they thought
that conductors receive enough, and to
add them to the petition would be but to
weaken it. The subject was thoroughly
argued and discussed at several meet
inQs, and twas finally decided to exclude
the conductors and let them present
separate petition. Our action does not
include freight conductors or freight
brakemen, but only passenger train
men. The freight men received an
increase recently, you know, and they are
satisfied with it. / have no doubt but
that the company will grant our perition
for it has always been promised us since
President Scott made the ten per cent. re-
duction in 1877. He said then that it was
only a temporary reduction.
NOT A THREAT.
'sIS this petition to be construed by the
company as threatp'
sOh, no; it is simply request to be
given what we are entitled to If the COM
pany can afford it.
IF the request is refused, will the men
striker"
mot much" said the brakeman, with
a laugh. "We're not on strike and we
don't intend to be- No. this is not threat
nor an intimation that we propose to force
the company to give us this increase, but
it is as | have said before, simply a re
quesU."
Other employees corroborated this state
ment readily, when assured that their
names would not be published, and all
spoken to particularly stated that no mat
ter what the result of the petition strike
would NOT take or be threatened
Superintendents jackson and Craw-
ford were both away from their offices
and could not be seen. but gentleman
of high standing in the company said that
the question of the increase had not come
officially before the management Of the
road, and until it did no one could say
whether the increase would be granted or
not.
yAsHourES's Cocoa. Best q Goes Earthess