Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-08-05
CONSOLIDATED ROAD SHOPS.

= CONSOLIDATED ROAD SHOPS.
The shops to Run Eight Hours a
Day Now on an Average Commence
ing This HOrning-The ReasOns
Therefor-The New Limit to be In
Force This Month and Part of
Next-What Vice President futile
Says-NO Cut in Wages But Less
Hours Owing to the Business De-
preston.
A rumor being current that the Consoli-
dated road shops in this city might be put
on eight hours day time, the same as the
Hartford shops have been, as announced in
our yesterdays issue, Vice President futile
was interviewed on the subject last even
ing. Mr.. Tuttle said:
Yes, we have just decided to put the
New Haven shops on eight hours time.
The new arrangement will go into fo.ce after
tomorrow night, commencing Monday
morning, and will apply all through all the
departments.
We have been carrying very
large force all winter and spring and now
at this which is always the dull season
and with the prevailing depression we
have dropped off few and have now de-
cided rather than curtail the force or cut
wages to reduce the working time and give
all an equal chance. We have had an
extra large force this year in all depart
ments and We find 1t best to drop the
number of working hours to eight rather
than to cut down wages and employ the
men full time-ten hours.
10 hnr
/ will be this: We will begin work Monday
| morning at o'clock; the working hours
| will thenAbe from a. m. until 4:30 p. m.
Mondays Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thurs
days and Fridays: Then on Saturdays
work will cease at 1890 noon. This will
give on the average eight hours day six
| days in the week. The men will thereby
| have half holiday Saturdays. This plan
l will be kept in force through August and
1 into September awhile.
| Of course, as is apparent, when go many
mills and factories are shut down or
| working on reduced time their output Is
lees, making go much less for the railroads
| to carry. The railroads, one might say,
| are the pulse of the country as to the state
of trade and business. They reflect the
| condition of trade and business at once
When business is depressed there Is less
work for the roads to do.
Instead of cutting down wages, as Is SO
| frequently resorted to all about the coun-
| try in this time Of financial stringency, We
decide to continue the present wages and
hold tho whole force, giving all an equal
share of employment by curtailing the
| hours of labor. AS at this season of the
year shops all over the country are liable
| to take vacations and 1t ia the proper time
| for them, the vacation period comes in a
| seasonable time. The depression affects
| all railroads more or lees necessarily. The
| new program will continue until more
| favorable signs of the times show up
| I am of the opinion that the fall will see
| change for the better-s decided improve
| ment. Meanwhile it is best to await devel-
| opments. We shall try the new plan we'll
on into September. The business of the
| ably with that of any road. We have no
| reason for complaint Or alarm. The roads
continued prosperity is as we'll assured as
l anything can be of sublunary nature.
| But we have less to do just now, and await
| developments"
The new rule of which Mr. Tuttle above
| speaks applies to about l, 800 employees at
| the shops in this city, which is the great
center of the roads mechanical business;
1t applies also to the shops at Harlem River
and to those in Hartford.
| IN HARTFORD.
HARTFORD, Aug. 4-Orders have been
posted in the repair shops of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford railroad in
this city, reducing the time of a days
work to eight hours next Monday. The
men will, as those in New Haven will, 90
in at 7 and work till 10 and 20 in again at
l and work till 4:30, five days in the week.
| On Saturday the men will work from till
1880, thus making 4S hours during the
week. This reduction is in the line of re-
trenohment which has gone into force
within few days and will reduce the pay
roll at the shops here twenty-fi five cent.
The order affects the entire force at work
here, numbering about two hundred men.
No reason is assigned for the order, but it
is understood to be the stringency in the
| money market.
For several weeks the company has ex-
perienced considerable difficulty in getting
/ currency to pay the men. The pay rolls
are sent in Saturday each week and the pay
car starts out Monday on the different d.
visions of the road and keeps on going till
Friday. The custom in this city snd at
many of the other large stations on the
line of the road has been to deposit the
receipts from the passenger and freight
traffic in the local banks and then draw
out the money when needed. Within a
few weeks the banks have been I'M
able to furnish the necessary bills
without considerable trouble and so
the company, instead of depositing
its funds in the local banks has
issued orders forwarding all receipts direct
to the main Office in New Haven. Thus
the road Is able to meet the demands upon
it promptly each week. This reduction in
the hours of labor at the shops is unprece-
dented ct this season of the year. Even
during the panic in 1857 the shops were
not run on short time here, and 1t has
been only occasionally since, In the winter
season, that the men have been put on eight
hours.
This retrenchment, it is understood, will
affect the entire force of men in New Ha-
ven and other shops. The total number
of men on the pay roll of the company is
about 81 900, and the annual amount paid
to officers and men is nearly So, 900, 900.