New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-19
STATISTICS OF RAILROAD LABOR.
ANNUAL REPORT OF COMMISSIONER WRIGHT
THE AVERAGE WAGES PAID

waehnrton. AnriI 1s-Carro D. Wright, The Com
nlssoncr of Labor has submitted 10 the President. for
transmission TO Congress. his fifth annual report.
The single subject treated Is railroad labor. his
report shows that on June So loe3 inc whoie num-
Der Of railroad corporations IN the 'hteu states
was approximately. lis, and the mileage OF 'neSe
roads approximately, I561O0 miles. the hninoer
OF persons employed all the railroads OF 'he country
on that date was Gs0. -eG-the tra'nmcn numbering
10, 5so. e,vitchmcn farnen and vatchmen. 81 1896.
aud other empoyes 500 go. For the purposes OF
nves,ication the railroads OF the country were d.
vided into seven geographical groups IN which tne
general conditions OF labor were OF Ike CHARACTER
S,ytv railroads were selected, representing all parts
Of the country and all conditions OF railroad laoor
Connected with the sixty roads under invesueauoh'
In these several groups there were :i1 $40 employees
rpon investigating the subject OF tie relations VI
emnIoves and corporations. which was extended 70
about 500 corporations by which the real railroad
,rires NJ the country is performed II found that
or companies prohibit the use OF intoxicating liquors
The rest either have no rules relating 10 the s"oJe'
o. have modified restrictions.
yue,een roads maintain beneficiary institutions and
some pay hospital expenses iar snare OF ,e 'oao'
assist their employees in securing HE or arcuc" y"
surance. six companies pension their superannnaVu
omployes and also their permanently disabea peope'
Tho large number Of 266 companies retain Ill 'he'F
ssr,ics ner,nancutlv disabled employees, the number
NJ sch on the rolls al the close OF the year 1850 oes
2lol Many roads also provide some system VI
technical education for the men in their shops
Tho WAGES side of railroad labor is gwen in''y III
ho ronori The whole number OF specified titles OF
occunations OF the sixty roads investigated l. 'i''
Ia, r,rposcs OF treatment In this report theSe are
classified into seventeen occupations. Inc IePo''
s,ow. the facts outlined for al $40 employees W
This uur,ber 1870 arc employed on spccinco uhc
as lay the day or by the month. OF the 2-i,o'o en-
Ices involved 5GiO4 or over 45 per cent. are EN-
Moved twenty i've days less out Of tie whole year
81 o,a or nearly H. per cent, are employed from
II ,o 100 DAYS; 42.7l9. 10 per cent. from
ao1 10 3o5 DAYS. and 3,JJT, or D. per cent "oIA
more than full wear.
As TO wascs. 1t is found that over q per cent Is
paid at rates ranging from ST 10 g per day Inc
average daily rate OF all the employees paid BY spe'i"c
,mc on the sixty roads is 81 "a. OF the whole mum
me-, ~, ,rnployes lol 300 earn less than Sloo pei
vear. 53 gu earn from SlOl 10 300 per year. anu
II 3l1 earn from S2ol TO $500 per yea. i"c ,.
r.rujnr, OF all the sixty roads per year j. sIt"
although less than 90 per cent oil al '"'' ND ''''
ti.~ average. ,.,- 80, -, nor 1,
e,ch of the seven groups OF seventeen occupations
rhe average for baggage masters lor i"9'"' ~ 90
81 G3: braacmcn. ~ IS locomotive ehehe,r.' 60 -
telegraph operators. 81 AZ, conductors, ~ 80
connar live table is gwen as IA the wages psh rui
rod men I'm this country md In Great brl,aI,
mi. lahlc shows that the average aahy
ua; az locomotive engineers In GREAT DIT a.
+ ~ 49, Of tremen 81 Great ,eO nrsin' 'O e.
cents in the Inifod States. II 30 nakmsl' ia Ut Ia
Er,,a:n 81 cents in the United states. 81 ID Inc
report further shows that 1917 a1 ~h and
they received @243 average actual earnings lor VIC
wear employed. These .-45'O mon were cinp'o,eo
TO I'll lO5. s0' places