The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-22

Thts = Equalization" To onset . cut
q 1z06o thsre u N increase OF s.. and tn,
eut here, - In other Great Northern Offices.
oonms to b. made In the case OF those al
goady getting but meager pay. and III able
- bear reduction
THE feeling among the men whose SAL
NO. have been out" said the gentleman
With whom the reporter was talking. liz
that they have been outraged. Three or
leur months ago, when the Great North
orn WAS Threatened with general strike,
ana partial outbreak actually occurred
q Montana and st Spokane. these men
ooood to their posts. and were loyal 10 the
mad. During that criss General Manager
Warrso sent out circular appealing TO
1hem 10 stand by the road After tho
orisip had passed he Issued another circu-
~, telling them that their attitude toward
shs rad had beer carefully noted. thank
inR them for devotion to the interests Of
IN road. and assuring them that they
ehculd be rewarded. This 10 the kind Of
reward they are getting.
MANY things consp5re TO make the en-
Dioyes feel that they are being unjussly
6eait with. You have the figures already
showing that In the so-caiied equalization
scheme the road IL getting all the best
u IL Not only II this true. but II n true
also that In many Instances the salaries
shst have been fixed are totally out Of pro-
Dcftin TO the service rendered and The
responsibilities entailed. For instance. tho
oHent ~ Mount Vernon has been curt from
oED TO ~, while the Ddmonds agent has
1een raised from G7.50 TO SEQ. To any one
Uho knows the relative business import
once Of the two positions. no comment 10
oecessary. Take A. another illustration
che Everett once. The agent there has .
very responsible position. and an Inn
&f.1s smo,sat Of work He gets $50 =
month. while the bill clerk in the Seattle
once has Just been raised TO sss.
Take a. still another example the agent
o. blaine. His labor is Of such extent that
datfinG his recent absence two men had TO
~ employed to take his place. He has all
the handing business 10 look after. and
has the responsibility OF being authorized
70 attach J. J. Hilrs signature as surety to
the bonds For all this work and response
o!llty he gets the prlnceiy salary Of IS q
month, while the freight receiving clerk
On the Seattle ONCE has tIst had his pay
raised to SIS.
so you ace the hoy~ feel that. even
granting the necessity for some kind OF re-
duction. which they do not concede. stiil
The reduction Is not being eauitsbly made.
Another thing which has been common
" talked OF among them is the policy OF
the road In making these cuts In spots, so
as 70 AVOID stirring up general feeling all
along the line. Now. they are not pro-
posing any radical or revolutionary meas
ures: hut IN my Judgment a great cor
poration should think long and seriously
before II stlrs up Its empioyes 10 such a
state OF disaffection rs now exists among
those on the Great Northern, Such a
policy makes each man realize that he has
nothing 10 hope for and nothing 10 gain
Wy faithful service. by making the inter
ests Of the road dear to- himself as his
own interests. That ls what some OF the
Great Northern men have done. but II viii
h. q cool day In August when they do II
again"