The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-10
HELP is COMING. CHECK PAYMENTS
Southern Pacific Will
Make Them.
Will
A Move Calculated TO Obviate All
Danger in the Future From
Train Robbers.

A new system Of paying of employees viii
soon be put into operation by lie Southern Pa
cifC Company, by which the men Will receive
checks on New York instead OF cash, as at pres
emf. The only thing thar has deferred the
adoption of his plan up 10 the present time is
The fact that many OF the men employed work
in out-of-thewaY places on the plains and IN the
mountains, where access to trade ceHters is
difficult, and it was thought they might encoun-
Ter some Trouble or delay 10 getting their money.
1t is expected. however, 10 remedy this difii
Guilty by forwarding sufficient amount Of cash
al intervals to these localities 10 meet the pay
ment Of these checks and ObyaIe tie necessity
Of their holders jouineying to the nearest town
where bank is located.
This move VIII be taken, OF course with q
view Of reducing the possible dangers of rob-
berry 10 a minimum. The Southern Pacific has
been particularly fortunate in this respect, and
It's officials ale constantly endeavOring 10
strengthen The precautions taken 10 prevent a
surprise.
The payment by check will not interfere with
the running OF tile pay trains, but instead OF
cash The trains Will carry only checks. Each
mans wages OF salary viii be paid 10 him lRdI-
Vldualy, as al present, by the paymaster. and
II Is expected that there Will be no objection To
the plan on The part of The men. as every ar
rangement viii be made 10 facilitate their Ie-
celvIng the coin al designated points upon pres
eniatlOn of their checks.
Treasurer \. I. Smith, In speaking of the
present position OF The railroad relative TO
giving passes 10 employees over re ferry. said
that the system lad been so abused that IL had
become an absolute burden and that it was
necessary 10 stop II. he thought members OF
employees families were no more entitled to
passes over the ferries than they were 10 street
car tickets. Special rates had been made for
such persons by The issuance OF twenty ride
tickets between san Francisco ana Oakland
Alameda or Berkeley for 81, and these tickets
were good for ninety days.
AS 10 The statement made in an evening paper
that employees on the ferIy-Doats of tie
southern Pacihc Company had not been paid
since last October, Sir. Smith said that was I'M
qualifledly false. During Inc late panic the
lOad had, 10 common with all other similar en-
ierpriSes, met with some difficulty in raising
the necessary ID ans 10 pay of its employees,
hut matters were beginning 10 look brighter
now, and be expected In month or TWO 10 get
back 10 the Old plan Of payment. The paycars
are already engaged in H. etlng the November
pavTollS and II Is expected that the entire sys-
TEN Will be paid of inside of TWO weeks.
Second Vice President SIubbs OF the South
eTn Pacific Is quite hopeful that the present
meeting OF traffic managers in Chicago VIII ac-
complish something toward the restoration of
harmonious rates among the different Western
roads before The meeting closes. He says that
the Canadian Pacific now shows disposition
TO somewhat modify lis demands In regard 10
diffeTentiaS claimed.
The traffic over the Southern Pacific lines
during December last shows an excess Of 1856
of WestDOund over eastbound passengers. The
total number of passengers WeStbound was S9O9
and OF easlbOund 1858. or tie westbOund
total 1887 was tirst-class travel