The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-08
MORE MONEY.
This Is What the Southern Pa.
c.fic Engineers Want.
The General Committee Of Adjustment, Rep
resenting the Entire System, Now in
Session Here.

The Southern Pacific Company has an
other Grievance Committee on its hands,
and there is big fight on, which extends
from Oakland pier to Ogden and from Port
land to Ell Paso.
The engineers are at it this time and the
forecast is not indicative of speedy settle
ment. The trouble has long been brewing
and has gathered strength with each day
The entire Southern Pacific system was
represented at a Meeting of the General
Committee of Adjustment of the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers held in this
city yesterday, when the grievances were
formulated for presentation to the company,
and general plan OF action, to be followed
in case of a refusal, discussed.
There are complaints from many divis-
ions, which will be included in the list of
grievances to be presented to the company,
but the primary cause of calling the CON-
mittee together comes from an alleged re-
fusal on the part of the company to keep its
agreement with the men on the run between
Oakland pier and Mendoza, and between
Carliu, New, and Ogden.
THE TROUBLE GENERAL.
AS before stated the trouble is general
and not confined TO the two divisions above
mentioned. but the two specifications
noted seem to take the lead in long list of
complaints which the officials of the South
ern Pacific will have to consider in day
or so.
F. Y. Meyers, Chairman OF the committee
now in session in this city, gives the fol-
lowing version OF the two complaints cited ::
'In 1885. " said lie, "a schedule was adopted
on the salt Lake Division. which embraces
the line between Carlin and Ogden, proyid-
ing that FIVE engineers should be employed
between the points mentioned. with Il lay
over at Terrace. II was agreed that the
pay Of an engineer should be 81 70 per day.
AT that time only one passenger train
was run between Ogden and Carlin. Some
time previous 10 this the Humboldt Di-
vision bad been abolished, but was soon re-
stored and then cut out again about three
months since.
while these changes were in progre SIS
another passenger train had been put on
each way, and when TIVE Humboldt Division
" as last abolished instead of putting ten
men on the run as the agreement of 1858
provided for the company put on eight men,
WHO made daily average of 149 miles and
average monthly wages OF Sl16
4 DAYS WORK.
Zone hundred miles or less is considered
4 days work on all roads in the United
States, The engineers Of the Salt Lax d.
hiSlHu Nlu not want 10 run Ile increased
mileage per day, for it WAS a case of eight
men doing the work of ten. although the
new orderOf things provided Tor extra pay
They asked that ten engineers be put on the
run ut 81 20 per day. This the company re-
fused and as a compromise the engineers
proposed that nine men do the work max
IHg the daily mileage l53 miles, and the pay
S1JO per month. This seems to the engineers
a fair treatment OF the compact of 1855, and
TINS IS what we shall ask the company TO
grant"
The above however. has not been the
cause for converting the General Grievance
Committee. Quite recently q new piece OF
road has been opened between Oakland and
Bakersfield, via Tracy and Goshen, AID the
entire southern freight business of the COM
pany has been diverted from the old route
via Lathrop and Fresno, TO the new line.
In establishing freight rates over the new
route, IN place OF . cents per mile, as was
the rule on the old line, q rate has been made
on the basis Of something like 5.3 to 81
cents per mile.
CLAIM OF THE COMPANY.
The company claims that figuring the
trip maize from Oakland to Mendoza and
Oakland to Lathrop as all one run, the rate
would be IA cents per mile. but the amount
thereby added to the 3.3 cents per mile
Oakland to Mendoza, has simply been
taken oil the previous scent rate per mile
Oakland TO Lathr0p, and the rate "A cents
sul remains much lower than the previous
cents per mile, the rats paid as the old
route. Only a short time ago the head
quarters of the Visalia division was re.
moved from Tulare to Fresno forcing
many of the engineers to give up their
homes, which represented to them in many
cases tie result of years Of toll and econ
ony II was either move TO Bakersfield or
leave the service of the company This
general exodus from Iulare has caused a
very appreciable depreciation in real estate
values, thus entailing upon the engineers
serious financial loss.
Added to this is the fact that a change in
division terminals from Tulare to Fresno is
followed by the establishment of new rates
oil pay and new arrangement as 10 the
runs.
Tie rates referred to show decided re-
ducton as compared with the old schedule,
and the new system Of runs requires many
more hours service than the old for the
same pay.
THE RAILROAD SIDE.
General Superintendent j. a. Fillmore
when interviewed concerning the trouble
said: -" do not know the full extent of the
complaints, but understand that the engi-
neers of the Salt Lake Division want an
other engine put on the run between Carlin
and Ogden.
At present the engineers of this division
receive SIG for five and half hours work
per day. a ninth man would reduce the
time OF service to four hours and forty-fve
AliHuteo' anu entail upon the company the
additional expense of running a heavy
passenger engine, the cost of which would
be between $4,000 and Sl2,0OO
The other grievance l am told, is con-
corning freight rates between Oakland and
Mendoza. The men object to a run of 10
miles, with no local work. and an alternate
run to Lathrop Of 80 miles. On this line
ten and half hours constitute a DAYS
work, for which the men receive Sc, with
40 cents an hour for all overtime. Compare
TINS schedule with that of any Eastern road
and you can at once understand why engi-
neers are anxious to remain in the service
OF the Southern Pacific"