Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-10
Number Of Hands on Railways.

more vitality tnan Otnef branches OF
the organization, which seems to be
in a comatose condition. At least
two lodges of the order met recently
in that city, and passed resolutions
demanding that Gov.-elect Upham
shall recommend the passage Of sew
eral laws affecting railway labor, and
demanding that the Legislature shall
carry the recommendation into
effect.
The formula OF American Railway
union Legislation which was adopted
requires that there shall be not less
than one conductor and three brake
men on any freight train; not less
than one conductor, one baggage
senger train not less than one fore
man and three helpers for each
switch engine, and that all railway
companies shall have II crew of not
less than four section men for each
ten miles of railway operated six
relate to blacklisting, locomotive
boiler state inspection and weekly
payment of wages In "United States
currency" Similar Legislation will
be asked In Illinois.
Among vagaros Of members Of
the American Railway Union, they
appear to think that railways were
constructed principally, not for the
transportation Of passengers and
freight, but to furnish themselves
with pleasant and rclnuncrativc oc-
cupation. This Is an obvious error.
Railways are not IN elcemOsynary
institution. They are strictly bust
ness enterprises. They are built to
carry people for pay from one part
Of the country to another, and tot
transport freight on the same terms
in all directions from the point Of
shipment to the point Of destination.
No other purpose nor end was In
Volvcd In their construction.
Railways are subject topublic law.
They are required to protect the safe
ty OF passengers and to carry and de-
liver freight with reasonable prompt
itudc. But the law will no more say
how many men shall be employed
for this purpose than II Will say how
many janitors, engineers, lrcmcn
md scrub women the proprietor Of II
ten-story apartment building shall
employ. Enlightened self-intorcst
viii dictate to railway managers that
they shall not employ 40 few mon ns
10 render property and life unsafe on
their trains. IT loss Of life or dam
age io persons or property IL caused
ny their neglect of proper precau-
lions they are criminnlly and pccu-
lllarily responsible.
improvements In machinery and
air brakes, electric sig
nals, running trains In blocks and
other methods make II unnoc cssiry
to carry as many tranmcn rs were
required when trains were operated
entirely by hand work. Vast sums
of money have been expended by
! he railway companies In providing
these appliances, which arc II moro
certain protection against accidents
than ordinary human vigilance and
activity. Tho railway companies
cannot be expected to retain the nu-
n,erons employees required before
they bought expensive machinery to
But the total number of employees
Wis not lcsscned by the use Of me- ,
appliances In operating |
rains. The number of trains has In ,
reascd rapidly on all the railway
ines and on now lines. More cm-
,loycs havo found jobs on new trains -,
han were laid oil from the old trains '
N receiving their new equipments.
every Improvement In operating
airoads which has enabled the !
to dispense with ono man :
ms made Il new job for two mon
elsewhere or in other departments.
Except for the fact that the en-
remedy low state of railway bust
less at the present time has caused {
reduction of railway forces every
where, thcro never before were rs {
many mon employed by the rail 7
Dads as are employed now--or rs
would be employed II the railways ;
we're running moderately up to their y,
There are now nearly +,
,WOoOO mon in the employ of the ,
always. With their families and
they constitute one
wolith of the total population of tho
country. The railways employ as
many men M can he useful To them
md ms many rs they can pay fair
wages to without IN increase IN their
revenues.
There would he no moro common
sense in II law requiring railroads to
employ II greater number of train
hands than there would be In Il law
requiring II farmer to hire moro men
for the harvest field, or Il sawmill
owner to increase the number Of his
mill hands. If tho law should UNI
dertako to say how many mon cor
porations or Individuals shall em-
ploy, 1t would next he asked to iiN
their rate Of wages. In tho end the
employer would find before him the
alternative of going out Of business
or going into bankruptcy. Then the
last state Of the cmployc-thc brncf-
iciary OF all these mprovidCnt laws |
would he worse than the first, for
he would have no employment at
any rate of wages.
"Old, yet ever new, and simple and
beautiful ever" sings the poet, in
1ynrdo which p,iuh wall nn,,ly ~