The morning call., 1895-01-31
THE ENGINEERS TALK.
Their Version Of the Present
Trouble.
MEANING OF READJUSTMEET.
It Is Only a Cover for a Direct Cut
in Wages.
SOME WAGES ALMOST CUT IN HALF.
The Possibility Of Trouble Is a Matter
for Future Consideration,
the Men Say.
SOME WAGES ALMOST CUT IN HALF.

ideas as to the situation regarding the
pending trouble between the engineers in
the employ of the company and that
organization, the men now come forward
and give their side of the case.
f. J. Meyers, the chairman of the
engineers brotherhood on the Pacific
system of the Southern Pacific, was their
spokesman yesterday and he outlined the
position of the men in the matter in the
following words:
Regarding some changes that have
been made in the pay of the engineers on
the Pacific system of the Southern Pacific
that have resulted in the convening of our
general committee and summoning of our
chief executive to this coast l Will say that
while negotiations have been pending re-
garding such questions our committee
has always studiously RETAINED from
taking the initiative in publicly discussing
them. But, noting the recent remarks of
one of the high officials of the company
(as quoted in a morning daily, it is
deemed only right that If the public is
given one side of the matter it should be
given the other side as we'll.
eve are plea sed to read the high tribute
given by the official in question to the
locomotive engineers of the Southern Pa
cific system, and we believe that we can,
pointing to a record extending over some
twenty odd years, without egotism feel
that the tribute is not entirely undeserved.
And we are glad to reciprocate by saying
that it gives US pleasure to look back over
the period named and remember the uni
form courtesy and consideration with
which we have been met by all the officials
of the company in all our conferences with
tn loar pa fria 10
tons that have always been maintained.
But, coming to the matters over which
our recent conferences have been held. the
statement of the official referred to, viz
That there has been no reduction, only a
readjustment of the pay of the engineers,
that statement does not fully cover all the
facts of the case.
''To go back to the early days of the
road. Higher rates of pay were allowed on
mountain and desert divisions than were
allowed on the valley divisions here in this
State-not that the speed of trains was
slower on the first-named divisions, but to
compensate for disadvantages under which
engineers on such divisions worked. Thus,
taking the road between Los Angeles and
FL Paso, or between Truckee and Ogden,
by far the major portion of the distance it
runs through desert. The country was
extremely disagreeable to work in or even
live in. The cost of living was high, and
ditions still exist viii not, we think, be de-
MED by any one conversant with the facts
or who has lately travelled through the
country named.
ssWhile it may be true that, in some
cases, time schedules have been made
faster, it is not by any means true as re-
CARDS all the cases wherein paw has been
'readjusted, as claimed by the official
reduced as claimed by the engineers.
Nor, in noting increase of speed has proper
note been made of the fact that increase
of speed of a train brings with it proper
tionate increase of responsibility and care
to its engineer. Nor has proper note been
made of the fact that with the growth of
modern appliances, more and more of the
responsibility for the safe guidance of the
train over the road has been placed upon
the engineer, nor of the further fact that
the size of engines has been almost or
quite, doubled, and where, twenty years
ago, the engineer was in charge of an
engine weighing perhaps twenty-five or
thirty TONS hauling trains of few hundred
tons aggregate weight, he is now called on
to manage an engine of anywhere from
sixty-tive to seventy-five tons weight, and
the aggregate tonnage of his train has in
creased into the thousands.
Passing this, and coming to the ques-
ton Of readjustment' versus reduction
the basis of pay for an engineer in road
service has not been hours, as might be
inferred from the statement of the official
In question. That basis, for many years
past, on almost every system of standing in
this country, has been either mileage or
trip basis. In this system it has been the
trip basis, viz: certain compensation fixed
Tor taking train over the road between
certain points. Something akin to the
method OF paying by piece work, practiced
IN come other branches of industry. Many
OF the trip rates of this system have, by the
method OF readjustment' referred to, been
reduced from 10 to 40 per cent. The case
OF the other side would be made on a more
consistent foundation if it could be shown
that changes in pay have been made only
where hours on duty have been lessened.
But this can by no means be done.
changes have been made on runs where
absolutely no change in hours of service
have taken place. On some of the valley
runs changes have been made as far reach
ing as any made on the portions of the
road referred to by the official. 1t is true
that on one or two runs on the system the
rates have during the recent changes been
slightly increased. 1t is true as well that
on many runs no change at all in pay has
been made But, figuring out this read
lustment to Its approximately exact re-
suit, the fact stands forth that, taking the
engineers on the system as an aggregate
body, the net lessening of their pay per
mo1sP brought about by the readjustment
IS precn Fly similar to what would have re-
suited from general reduction of between
9 and 10 per cent of the pay of each engineer
in the employ of the system. Whenever
it is made clear that this saving has been
brought about without loss to the engineers
the now intricate road to wealth will have
been made plain to the most obtuse mind.
at is said that this company has been
paying more to its engineers than is paid
to engineers by other companies. It is
doubtful if this can be entirely maintained
in a comparison with similar roads, oper
ated through similar country, under similar
conditions Such comparison, bringing
in the cost per mile of engineers wages,
does not sustain such claim in many
cases.
'sThe engineers of this system feel, that
in any event, the recent reductions have
been too extreme, and have placed their
pay on this system much below what is
paid for the same service by connecting
roads. Figured out to rates per mile they
find that out of Ogden, on this system,
passenger engineers are now paid 3.36, on
the D. 4 R. G. w. 4, and on the .. ?. 43
cents per mile.
I'm freight service out of Ogden the pay
is: On the S. p. 3.3, on the d. d X. g. w.
Al, and on the U. P. 4.3 cents per mile.
"Out OF Portland, Or, passenger engi-
neers are now paid on the S. p. ION changed