Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-09-19
RAILROADS AND MINES.
WHAT is GOING ON IN THESE TWO
BIG INDUSTRIES.

in the Newspapers-Interesti Articles
from Various Sources.
One by one the newspapers that up
held the deal are coming over to the
anti-combine side. The latest to change
is the Weatherly Herald That place
was hit as hard as any along the sys-
TEN. The young men are deserting it
in large numbers, as there are nothing
but suspensions and discharges to had in
the shops there. 1t was prosperous and
advancing rapidly before Mcleod got
his fingers on it, as is shown in the fol-
lowing article from the Herald:
Mr.. Mcleod has agreed not to dis
charge Brotherhood men, so the general
tie-up which seemed imminent will not
take place. Notwithstanding the high
compliment paid to President Mcleod
by the Brotherhood of Railroad En-
gneers, there are people in this section,
especially railroad men, who are loath
to believe the promises made by the
king of the combine. True it is, he
starts out well by the Reinstatement of
the engineer, but will Mcleod keep his
promise in reference to the discharge of
Brotherhood men on the leased lines?
That is question, and one that is hard
to answer.
Last April when the deal was consul
mated, our people were informed that
no harm would be the result, and every
effort would be made to help the towns
along the p. & r. line. Was this prom
Use kept?
AT that time prosperity reigned The
shops and railroad were working full
time; houses were going up all over town,
and our busy little borough was in
flourishing condition. The Herald up
held the deal and stood by the company,
prognosticating good results. We were
mistaken as everybody knows, especially
i'll this vicinity.
Observe the change.
A month after the combine was form
ed ourshops and railroad were working
half time. The foundry which at the
time of the deal employed from sixty
to seventy-fve moulders, now has a
half-dozen or more at work. Our ma
chine shop, which turned out the best
engines on the road, it is said will build
no more new work after the machines
on hand are finished. The railroad is
working half time, while in the other
departments hands have been laid off
altogether. People are moving out of
town, houses are empty, rents reduced,
and property depreciating in value.
If this is the way the P. & r. helps
towns along, the Herald wishes Wealth
erly wasn't sin it"
However Weatherly isn't dead yet,
and we may yet look for better times,
but not from the p. & II. Company.
1t seems to be a well settled plan on
the part of our railroad companies to
change their passengers conductors oc-
casionally and supplant old, tried Off
cials with new men, says the White
Haven Jo,rnaL A few years ago the
Jersey Central made almost clean
sweep in this branch of their service,
and now the Reading managers are
cleaning out the passenger conductors
on the Lehigh Valley.
VIM. NcNally, of White Haven, Thos.
Garrity, of Wikes-Barre, and Wana-
maker and Neifert of the Mahanoy
branch, were called to the general offices
in Philadelphia last week. What tran
spired there is not known, but the con-
ductors resigned their offices, and are
no longer employed by the company.
They refuse to say what took place at
Philadelphia interview, and evade all
bquestions by saying that they resigned,
though some of them give out that they
do not know why their services were no
longer required.
Joseph Holler, of Hazleton, who was
also summoned to Philadelphia, has
likewise left the company's services.
The places of the resigned Lehigh
Valley conductors have been filled by
the appointment of Baggage Master
John Sweeney as conductor of the train
formerly run by VIM. McNally, Wilson
Marsden in place of Thos. Garrity; and
II. Valentine in place of Joseph Holler.
Speaking with a prominent railroad
man this week concerning these men,
he said: "Of course / know nothing au-
thoritatively as to why these men were
discharged, but | believe that the trou-
BILE was in regard to rendering reports.
A new system is in force since the Read
ing is operating the road. Under the
Valley each conductor was required to
render daily report of what money he
collected in fares. Instructions were
printed on each report directing him to
count his change before leaving on the
trip, count the total on his return and
remit the difference.
"The Reading also demands daily re-
ports, but instead of giving the conduc-
tor the privilege of punching his fares as
' the old Valley did, it requires him to
btdlc DcbWccH Wlldb uC ndu
up fare. The Reading is very strict in
enforcing its orders and / suppose the
boys have gotten into trouble oyer this
report.
1T is an exceedingly difficult thing for
a conductor of long run to state exactly
and definitely just where and between
s what stations he has taken up fare and
IN this way account for every cent he
has taken in. 1t is an utter impossibility
for him to sit down at the end of the
day and account for it all. We used to
bunch it, and forward it to the treas
urer. The Reading won't receive it that
way. This think will explain the dis
charges on the Mahanoy and Wyoming
branches"
On the other hand it is said that the
Reading takes this method of getting rid
of the Brotherhood men, as by discharg-
ing them for slight violations Of its rules
it prevents interference by the labor or
ganizations and at the same time accom-
plishes its purpose