Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-17
SHAVING DOWN
ROCK island Railroad Mems
Salaries Still Being Cut.
A VETERAN TRAOKMAN GOES

1rainmPn Said to be- yo,in, mr.,
'si'ion of the switchmen-A Sc
ieetihS-One of the Number Ex-
presses His Opinion of Things and the
Hardships of the Work Assigned to Him
yesterday was pay day on the Rock
island and it will probably be the
last for some time when so much
money is distributed here ot
TIME. The result of the policy of re-
'renchment which the company in
common with most other corpora-
tions IS pursuing, will have shown
the company hopes before another
pay day comes
The work of cutting off in fact be-
gun yesterday. when number of
sWitchmen and trackmen were laid
on Henry Empke, for 81 years fore
man OF the section forces here. being
among the number let out to reduce
expenses. When the company feels
called upon to dispense with the ser
wees OF veteran in its employ like
MIR. EmPkc, it begins to look blue
| for the res of them.
Voting oni
While it is not generally known. in
tact. while the assertion is positively
denied by railroad men. it is under
| stood thai n vote is being taken
among the trainmen in the employ of
the Rock Island road in relation to n
! proposed reduction in wages. This.
1t is stated, will affect engineers.
| hremen, brakemen and conductors.
A snort time since. as the story goes.
the orders representing these
branches were requested to send rep
resentativeS to Chicago to confer
with the officials in relation to the
matter. and they went. The train
mems representatives were confront
ed with statistics to warrant the
claims of he officials, and at the con
clusion of the conference they were
instructed to get the sentiment of the
employees in the matter. 1t is stated
that the reduction is only to be tenn
Porary, if carried into effcct-9O DAYS
being the designated period.
Switchmen Object.
1t is stated that the men DO not
| take kindly to the reduction. and
some OF the switchmen declare they
will strike rather than submit to a
| reduction In fact. it comes from
good authority that an official high
in the order Of switchmen visited
Rock Island yesterday. and that a
secret conference was held among
the local switchmen belonging to the
brotherhood. al which the proposed
reduction was discussed. and rs to
l.whcther the switchmen would sub
| nit to n I'D per cent reduction. or any
ut all without striking. The switch
men and all the train and track en-
| ployes OF he c.. NJ. & St p. have de-
cided not to accept 10 per cent re-
duction, but 10 strike if il i insisted
on. The position Of the Milwaukee
men, it i understood. has strength
| ened the Rock Island switchmen in
| their conviction that they ought not
to he cut. as has the fact that the
| Burlington has not made a reduction
thus far IN any department of it.
| service.
\ Switchman Talks.
One Rock Island switchman who
has been in the company's employ
for many years, said: Il have
| given the best part of my
life to this company, not knowing
from day to day whether l would be
| alive the next minute or not, and vet
l am in expectation of being let out
| az any time. As far as wages 90, no
| switchman ever received what he
earned. All branches of railroad
work-that is the train and track
! service-involve continuous danger on
the part of employees, but l believe
| the switchman has the most hazard
Gus of all. You can't pay man for
the loss of limb, and YOU can't pay
his family for him after he has gone
in the discharge of his duty, and yet.
| strange a ii may seem. the railroad
! strikes at those who risk the most for
it and don't say anything about re-
| ducticn in salaries-well higher up
| and out Of danger"