The herald., 1898-01-19

COLLIS'
CUTTING
Penny Wise and Pound
Foolish
RoADBED MEN LAID OFF
TWO DAYS PAY SAVED AT GREAT
RISK
The Southern Pacific, Although Doing
an Unprecedentedly Large Busi-
ness Orders Economy

Despite the fact that the Southern Pa
cifici now doing the largest freight bust.
ness in it's history in Southern California
the management has recently put in force
one of it's economizing orders. in whicf
his shortsighted policy of saving a Few
thousand dollars in wages. at the risk OF
loss of life and property, is again Illus
trated.
The business of the road has. during
the past few months, increased at sucn
rate that.for the first time at such sta
tions as Cotton night yard crews have
had to be put to work, SO that making VI
trains and switching goes on In every
hour Of the twenty-four.
1t is the same way with passenger
traffic, local and overland trains are
crowded. 1t is difficult to get sleeping
car berth without engaging 1t several
days ahead. The limited through trains
to Chicago and New Orleans have had
cars added to them each week. until now
two engines have to be always used on
them, and a third train is to be placed in
opera0 0bn very soon.
Owing to the excellent work Of the
division officials, by their devoting all
their time and efforts on the Yuma di-
vision, they have. kept everything
cleaned UP and it Is the banner division
Of the whole Southern Pacific system for
business and absence Of accidents.
Yet, on Wednesday of last week, when
every man on the division from engine
hostler to superintendent was working
at the highest pressure, the order came
to lay off the roadbed men for the entire
division for two days,
Two days pay saved off the wages of
the men who find and replace dangerous
rails, shaky culverts, wobbling fish
plates, soggy, shifting roadbed, align
defective gradients and do the work
that prevents smashups, crushed bodies,
burned freight, broken limbs and ruined
engines!
These gangs are stationed at distances
of about five miles, and the necessity of
the labor, to safety Of trains and to true
economy, can be seen at a glance.
At the offices of the company no infor
nation could be had of any such order;
everyone professed ignorance of it, and
no such intention was said to exist, but
a section boss was found out of the city
who, when assured that his identity
would be kept secret, said that in the
middle of last week he, with the other
bosses along the line, had received the
instructions to lay off their men for two
days. No order had been received for
the same action for this and succeeding
weeks. but it was expected.
So for forty-eight hours the required
watchfulness and alertness Of inspect
ing the line was suspended and passen-
gers and freight were entrusted to luck.
The only thing to do was done, the
division officials took all the precaution
they could, the already overworked men
ON duty overworked themselves more,
and fate has been kind to uncle" for so
far he has no lives or limbs or property
to debit his economy account with. But
sometime the but will come, and it is
likely to be costly enough to offset the
wages of the few poor men who idled
away two days of their time to help swell
the net profit Of the great system.