Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-18

The second class Of men contains twice the
number in the frst-class. and the women 8
classes are in similar proportions. The number
of women employed is one-third of the total
force. Eight hours constitute q days work.
and any time beyond eight hours is regarded
as extra duty, and is paid for at one rate and a
quarter OF ordinary wages, 1.e., for every hour
OF overtime the operator is credited with one
and one-quarter hours. Night duty consists of
seven hours, that is to say. every hour served
between 10 pm. and am. is regarded as equal
to one hour seven and half minutes. On
Saturdays the operators are allowed one or two
hours Oft II business permits. Operators are
pnid at the rate Of one forty-eighth Of their
weekly wag es for each hour they work on bank
holidays and one-forty eighth with one-quarter
ADDED for each hour worked on Sunday, Good
Friday and Christmas in addition to their
weekly wages. The railway companies main
tain and operate telegraph wires for their own
purposes, such as the block system for signal
ing trains and messages concerning railway
traffic. They also maintain public telegraph
wires, which are erected on the same poles as
their own wires, for the post Office.
Operators employed at the railway offices are
the servants of the various railway companies
and are paid by them. The companies are al
lowed commission Of 115d. g cents) for every
telegram they forward or receive on behalf of
the post office. The charge for inland tele-
grams is half penny q cent? per word, with q
minimum charge of Cd. (12 cents).
On the London and Northwestern railway
the pay OF telegraph operators is based on
365 days in the year. The question Of Sunday
overtime was gone into some years ago and ii
was arranged 20 give the operators an allowance
of S12.65 per year or S1.05 per month in lieu
Of overtime, and this is paid them whether
they perform one or more days Sunday duty
in the month. The scale of pay for telegraph
operators is S145.99 per annum, rising to
s3S9.32 by annual increments Of s24. SO, and
the ordinary hours Of duty are ten or twelve
per day. OF course the pay Of operators in
charge is higher and according to the class OF
station, rising from S437. SO to $729.97.
On the Midland railway the pay of telegraph
operators is on the following scale:
First year, S97.33; second, SI2l.66; third,
s17o.32; fourth. s218.99: fifth, s267 65: sixth,
S29l. 10; seventh, S316.32: eighth, s340.65;
ninth, 1894. 90; tenth, s3S932
Salaries above 1888. 80 arc dealt with according
to the special circumstances of each case. Eight
hours. az rule, constitute q days work. The
operators employed in the freight department
do not work on Sundays or national holidays;
those in the passenger department work on
such days in rotation, according to the num-
Der employed, ie., if there be only two in an
Office they work on Sundays and national holi-
days alternately, and SO on, but do not receive
extra remuneration for SO doing.
On the Great Western railway the rates of
pay OF telegraph operators vary in the case of
juniors from $97. So to S291.19 and in the case
of adults from S34O IS to $729.97 per annum.
The average hours per day are ten. They are
required to work on Sundays and national holt
days when their services are necessary and do
not receive extra pay for SO doing.
On the Lancashire and Yorkshire railway the
wages Of frst-class telegraph operators range
from 81. Sc to So 80 a week and ten hours con-
stitute u days work, exclusive of meal hours,
which are not allowed. Eight hours consti-
tute days work OF those operators who are re-
quired to perform Sunday and night duty in
their turn. National holidays are not recog-
nized; neither are the operators compensated
specially for working on those days. They ore,
however. allowed an annual holiday Of six days
with pay.