The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-06

the management. The Wabash railroad
will not cut very good figure in the con-
ference, however, for a state of things IS
alleged TO exist throughout It's 1900 odd
mileage which speaks i'll for somebody.
The men along some hundreds Of miles Of
that road are represented 10 live in a con-
ditlOn bordering upon savagery, IN conSe-
quence Of way Of getting men to work
long hours at stretch, devised by an
economical director. The result is in
many cases that Insomnia, insanity and
deaths from exhaustion are common
and the risk of accident is declared to be
enhanced. 1t is very likely that the rev
Citations with reference TO the affairs of
this road viii arouse the interest of the
stockholders Of all other roads as a re-
suit Of their presentation of some feat
ures of the railway problem. Not unlike
IL is the case of the Southern Pacific
lines, where the novel theories Of Q. p,
huntington as TO the amount of time a
man can work at a stretch are said to eX-
coed anything heretofore thought posi-
bic. A heroic effort will be made to put
an end to the l6-hor stretch of labor
prevailing on many lines in practical
defiance Of statute. Most persons will
wonder how it happens that the rail
roads can defy the laws enacted for the
lessening Of the hours Of labor of the rail
way hands. 1t seems almost impossible
to many persons that a train hand can
continue to work long if he puts in six
teen hours day, but evidence has been
quietly gathered for presentation to con
gress by the convention which will reveal
abuses even greater than this
A unique grievance prevailing in the
west and throughout New England is in
the charge that the roads have recently
adopted what is described to the men as
a protective Or INSURANCE. system, but
which is in reality device to make good
to the road losses in the employe expense
account. An instance is cited where a
board of directors, pushed for funds after
the declaring of guy" dividend,
actually mulcted 1;500 mems pay bills to
gain time. 1t is well known that a
favorite method of railway management
is to reduce wages, but a late modihca-
ton of that plan is to disguise reductions
by INJECTING penalties for losses, or by
charging time losses in transferences
from train 20 train. In this way. the men
allege, the roads are enabled to show that
their books reveal a high rate of wages,
whereas the sums taken off the nominal
wages are never made public at all.
Other surprises of the conference will
consist in the revelations of some secrets
Of railway management that are expected
TO prove even more fragrant. 1t will be
even alleged that United States courts
have even been deceived into issuing
writs against the men.
1t is not likely that the men will be in
session more than three days, that is May
81, % and 49, The leaders of the unions
will all be in attendance not merely
those named above, but such others as
w. A. Sheahan, of Illinois, who heads the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, and
probably James Il. Sovereign.
Nevertheless, the idea of the conference
is a conservative one. 1t is proposed to
elaborate totally new scheme of arbitra-
ton and to present it to congress with
the intention of having it passed by that
body. All the leaders say the unions are
convinced that some principle Of arbitra-
ton, will have to be found if the railway
system is not to be plunged inte spasm-
odic anarchy every now and then.
Among the proposed measures is an ad-
dress to the interstate commerce commits
sion asking its more attentive considera-
ton of the railway labor problem.