The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-23
AMONG RAILROAD MEN.
A Movement to Consolidate Diff
ferent Unions
IF the Craft Including the
Engineers.
Big Meeting to This Purpose at New
Castle, Pennsylvania.

Pittsburg, June 23-One of the most
important meetings that has ever been
held by the railroad trainmen will be
that scheduled for New Castle today,
when all of the different unions, COM
posed of railroad men, will be called
together in joint session. Several mat
I tiers of the greatest moment will be con-
Z sidered, the most important one and the
/ one for which the meeting has really
/ been called being to discuss the advisa-
bility of afiIiating all of the various
unions into one great body, to be con-
/ trolled by one head for the betterment
/ of the condition of the railroad men.
There are at present four different
/ and distinct unions among the various
4 branches of the railroad workers, the
oldest and strongest of which is the
I Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers;
/ then follow the Brotherhood of Fire
| men, the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen and the brotherhood of Tel
! egraph Operators. Until few years
| ago there were also brOt herhoodS OF
! brakemen, yardnen, conductors and
| switchmen, all separate and distinct or
/ ganiza tons These four unions were
( consolidated, however, and the Brother
hood of Trainmen was the name given
to the new organization.
This cOnsolida ton was attended with
such success, and the interests of all
the different bodies were so greatly en-
HANGED, that effort was made two
years ago to consolidate the Brother
hood of Trainmen and the Brother
hood of Firemen with the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers A meeting
was held and the matter discussed, but
the proposition did not meet with the
approval of all the members. Another
meeting was held last year, when the
same efforts were repea ted, but with
the same success, and the matter has
been hanging fire ever since that time
Things are in such shape now that
the scheme looks nearer maturity than
ever before. The engineers are at the
head of the movement, and are work
Ing hard for the consolidation, but it is
being vigorously opposed by the fire
men, who would sooner continue sepa-
rately from the other organizations. 1t
is thought that the Brotherhood of
Trainmen, seeing the good that has al
ready been accomplished by cOnsolida-
ton, will line UP with the engineers and
boost the movement. The operators
are rather on the fence, and it is not
known positively what side they VIII
favor.
National officers of all four organiza-
tons will be present at tOday's meet
ing. While the matter will not, of
course, be definitely settled just now,
still such steps will be taken as will III
timately result in the cOnsOlida ton of
the three unions. P. NJ. Arthur of
Cleveland, chief engineer of the Broth
erhOOd of Engineers, and Assistant
! Chief YOungston, also of Cleveland, are
both expected to s)e present a the meet
ing, and will boom the movement for
the proposed consolidation. Chief Sar-
geant of Terre Haute, the head of the
Firemen, viii also be present, and will
probably be at the head of the oppOsi-
ton. 1t is not known who will repre-
sent the other Organiza tons
The meeting today will result in a
bitter fight and the outcome viii be
watched with the greatest interest by
railrOaders throughout the country. The
different organizations have accOmp-
lished a great deal of good for the
trainmen, and if the consolidation Is
carried into effect it is hoped to extend
the good work. There have been times
in the history of the various Organiza-
ti0ns in cases of strikes where they fail
ed to stick together, with the result that
many good causes have been lost. By
this affiliatiOn it is hoped to better
protect the railroad men from the capt.
talists and to be able to advance all of
their interests.
1t is not probable that, even should
the consolidation be effected, more
wages will be demanded. That is not
the object in view just now and it may
never come to such an issue, as the
trainmen are, as a class pretty well
paid. The man of this craft who re-
ceive the best wages probably, are the
engineers. At present their scale de-
mands 312 cents per mile for each 100
miles or less that constitutes a run"
The fTemen receive so per cent of the
amount paid to the engineers.
In addition to this the men in the cab
have an opportunity of making addi-
tonal money on what they save on coal
and receive a bonus. For instance, on
passenger run 915 pounds of coal are
given for every mile that a car runs and
70 pounds for every mile that the engine
runs. Each day when the tender is
'cOaled" the fuel is weighed and it is
known exactly what amount is used If
any is left after the run" has been
made it is again weighed. The engi-
neer and fireman receive each one
fourth Of the market price of the coal
thus saved, the remaining half revert
ing to the company. In this manner
the engineer and fireman are able to
earn anywhere from IS to SO per month
in bonuses.