Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-14

driven to it by necessity. The fact is,
the corporations drive their men to
overworlk and loss of sleep by the low
wages they pay and tho conditions
they create; and, it is intensely wicked
to blame train men aud yard men for
the conditions created by others which
they cannot control.
1t is also stated that, on the long
runs of forty Or fifty hours, engineers
get some sleep by trusting the fireman
TO manage his engine. That is saying
that one overworked man must do
double duty while another exhausted
man gets little rest to save his life
This is fair specimen of corporation
railway management. Under govern
ment management eight hours would
be days work, with more men and
better wages, while general officers"
might get less.
Let me give specimen of corporate
conditions on branch road of one Of
our main lines There was mixed
train to start early in the morning,
carrying both freight and passengers.
1t was to be made up" before start
ing. 1t started late. The men work.
ed hard to gain time but could not.
There was much freight to handle at
the stations They could not gain
time. In answer to questions the con-
ductor explained the matter substan.
TALLY as follows: 1--WE have not men
enough to do the necessary work, We
began work this morning at two
o'clock We will be on duty till twelve
tonight"
This was run Of twenty-five hours.
With an insufficient crew it was inpos-
sible TODD the work in less time There
should have been two crews at least;
and, even then their days work would
have been ten or eleven hours; quite
long enough certainly. This case
came under my own observation. !
understand it is not an uncommon one
Another case related to me by an eye
witness, was that of passenger train.
At one Of our considerable cities, with
cross roads, where some changes Of
necessary. There was loss Of time
through misfits of couplings, and de.
ficient force of yard men. The conduc.
tor seeing the loss of time went into
the yard to hurry matters along To
aid the work he attempted TO couple
one of the misfits. He failed and was
crushed and killed. The cause of this
sad disaster was the failure 10 corpor-
ate management to provide uniform
couplings on the cars which the com.
pauies exchange with each other, be.
sides lack of men. Under government
management there would be unity o.
management, uniform cars and coup
lings, and a full force of yard and
train men at good wages, with eight
hours as full days labor.
A gentleman was passing by a rail
way round house, in one of our consid.
cradle towns on Sunday morning. See.
ing the men hard ut work with theil
rough clothes on, he stepped in to in
quire the cause. In answer to his ques
tions one of the men explained sub
stantislly as follows: "We have ne
Sunday, no Monday, no night, no day.
We obey the whistle. 1t is our duty
to meet all trains with engines ready
and boilers hot for all demands i
there were no extra trains; and, il
trains were uniformly on time, we
would have few hours regular rest in
the twenty.four But trains are often
behind time, and there are extras and
specials. Hence all hours are alike ia
us, We obey the whistle and get frag.
ments of rest when we can, subject tc
call at all times. When one of us il
temporarily sick or disabled, we do his
work for him to save his job. If thu
company hears of this the sick man
is dismissed and we are required to do
his work permanently.
Reader, that is a specimen of corpor.
ate slavery, in which men are forced
to their tasks day aud night and on
Sundays, not by the lash and the blood
hound, which seldom killed the victim,
but by the hunger of men, women and
children, which often reaches to the
point of absolute starvation, beggary
death. But why continue this sad re-
cital of every day barbarisms? Verify
corporations have no souls!
Very Respectfully,
JOHN DAVIS.
Darkest Europe"