The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-17
THE PLANT SYSTEM ENGINEERS.
The Reasons why Contract Was
Not Given Them


Not Given Them.
Editor Morning News: Within the past
few months much has been said in the
newspapers about contract between the
Plant system and its engineers Many err
rors have been made, and to a very large
extent the public is not at all familiar with
the facts. Indeed, the public knows prac-
tically nothing about the relations exist
ing between the Plant system and its en-
gineers.
General Superintendent Durham direct
ed the division superintendent, in the
summer Of 1885. to issue a circular an
nouncing, as the then existing contract re-
quired. that these contracts would expire
at the end of thirty days Accordingly,
circulars were issued on the 10th of July,
1895, and therefore the contract between
the engineers and the company came to an
end on Aug. 10, 1895
AS all differences between the Plant sys-
TEN and its engineers have been settled,
and as certain labor agitators are travelling
over the country, endeavoring to array la
Dor against capitol, and employe against
employer, the present seems an suspicious
time for letting the public more freely into
the secrets of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers and the relation of the
Plant system, not only to brotherhood en-
gineers, but to all of its engineers.
The contract between the Savannah,
fIOrlua ana western halfway Company
and the engineers would be interesting to
the public, but it would require too much
of your space to print the whole of it.
Certain articles of this contract, how
ever, will be quoted in order that the pub
lie may have a clearer understanding of
the situation.
will be allowed after the schedule of the
train shall have been exceeded thirty min
utes, at the rate of thirty-fve cents per
hour for every hour and fractional part
thereof; when a train has been delayed
exceeding thirty minutes, the first thirty
minutes will be counted.
This contract also CONSTITUTES the mean
ing of article 9Th, and provides as fol-
lows: Less than thirty minutes not
counted, over thirty minutes up to one
hour and thirty minutes will be counted
for one hour over one hour and thirty
minutes and up to two hours and thirty
minutes will be counted for two hours .
Under this article of the contract, the
engineer of a train which is only twenty
five minutes late, will get no allowance
for overtime; and the same would be the
case IL the train was Twenty-Five minutes
late; but if it is thirty-one or more min
utes late, up to one hour and a half, then
engineer receives in addition to his mile
age, thirty-fiVe cents for overtime
Again, if a train should be one hour and
tWenty-nne minutes late, only thirty-five
cents would be allowed for over time
while if it were one hour and thirty-one
minutes late, two hours over time would
be allowed at the rate of thirty-five cents
per hour. But this is one of the minor
Article provides that all engineers pull
ing passenger trains, or running light en-
gnes, shall be paid three cents per mile.
Passenger trains, with freight cars at
tached, will be paid four and one-quarter
cents per mile, as per article ?. Where
the mileage at three cents does not equal
four dollars on any one run, four dollars
will be paid
Article provides that all engineers pull
ing through or express freight trains,
shall be paid four and one-quarter cents,
one hundred miles or less to constitute
days work; all over one hundred miles
to be paid four and one-quarter cents
per mile.
Article % provides that two-thirds of
the passenger engineers of the First dis
trct shall decide whether they will run
first in first out, or to take regular runs
The same rule applies to freight engineers,
and the engineers on the Second district
will do likewise; but in no case will the
men on one district run on or in any way
interfere with those of the other, except
as provided for in article Z.
Under article 7th it is provided that the
first district of the road, that is, the Sa-
vannah. Florida and Western, will en-
brace that portion between Savannah and
by engineers located on this district at
Savannah, except local freight trains be-
tween Waycross and Jacksonville. which
will be provided with regular engineers,
and officers spe0al trains which will be
run by engineers from initial point to des-
tination regardless of district:
Second district lies west of Waycross.
Now the practical operation of these sew
eral articles was this: Take a train, for
instance, running between Savannah and
| -ThonasViIle a distance of two hundred
and one miles. The engineer who should
take that train out of Savannah, under
contract could not be required to carry it
further than Waycross. distance of nine
ty-seven miles. At the rate of cents
per mile, for ninety-seven miles the en-
gineer would earn S291, and yet under his
contract he would be entitled to 81. At
| Waycross another engineer would take
| the engine and carry the train to Thomas
Vile a distance of one hundred and four
/ give him S3.12, but under the contract, al
| though he had earned at the rate of
! cents per mile only $312 he would de-
| mand of the company and receive A As
| a matter of fact, therefore, the company
was paying cents per mile from Thomas
! VILE to Savannah, and did not have the
| power to require one of its engineers to
| make that run.
| of 8 cents per mile, which would amount
| to Sc for a run from Savannah to Thorn
asville the actual money paid to it's en-
| gineers for such run was, under the
Again, a train running from Savannah
| to Jacksonville with one engineer. would
cost the company for engineers service,
at 3 cents per mile, $5.25, whereas if
such a train should be run to Waycross
by one engineer he would be entitled to
81 and by another to Jacksonville, he al
SO would receive 81, making IS, as against
Now. to show to what extent the Broth
erhood Of Locomotive Engineers under
took to control the affairs of the Plant
system, / will quote few orders issued
by the brotherhood to Mr. G. NJ ID. Riley,
master mechanic, at Savannah;
Savannah. Ga. July 30, lS9i.--Mr. G. n.
D. Riley. Savannah. Ca: Dear Slr-The
names of Engineers Redmond and Spill