The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-20
JUST GIVES US FITS.
Correspondent Accuses Us of Be-
friending a Monopoly"

TO The Editor Of The Times: In your
editorial of the 18th instant, under the
caption of "Truly Roanokes Benefac.
tor" you made statements which were
incorrect, and which cause one to wonder
III The Times is Il newspaper for the
people, or the paid organ of the Norfolk
and Western railroad.
In behalf of the engineers and teleg-
raph operators. desire to reply to your
article, and ask, that in justice ID them,
you will kindly publish it in your
columns. The paragraph refer to reads
rs follows:
GA tabulated statement of the wages
paid by Southern roads show that the
employees of the Norfolk and Western
railroad are paid higher salaries than
those of any road in the South This
does not look like the grinding of God
less corporation Reference was made
few days ago to certain demands that
were said to have been made by the Nor
folk and Western telegraph operators,
and an intimation that the Brotherhood
OF Locomotive Engineers would support
them in their demands. 1t turns out
that upon an investigation by this order
Of these claims that the operators could
not substantiate thu facts upon which
they were based, and the Brotherhood,
for this reason, refused to join in the
II ovement."
To 3egin with, we would like to ask
the editor where he obtained 1.-THE ",Tabu-
lated Statement" referred to- Did The
Times 60 to the expense OF getting up
this information, or was it supplied from
the general Offices of the Norfolk and
Western railroad!
This "Tahulated Statement" take
it, is the same one that was hurried over
hsN rF%1 81 ~.
cial trains n week ago last Sunday, and
submitted to each telegraph operator for
the purpose OF hoodwinking them into the
belief that they were being paiu more
than the average wage received by opera
tors elsewhere, AZ stated in your article.
The manner in which this statement
was compiled, WAS such that the result
could not he correct, and Mr.. Barr adj
mitted that some OF his statements, as to
wages paid elsewhere, were Incorrect.
Let me give you an example Of Mr..
l'arr's "modus operand!." lii com ilng
his statement he considered such roads
as the Norfolk. Va. Eeach and Southern
railway: Dahvile and Western; G. f.
and Y. V: Norfolk and Southern, and
Chesapeake anG, Western, ro.ds Of no in.
portance, which start now here and end
in the same place, and in NO sense are
competitors OF the Norfolk and Western
railroad Mr.. Bars method is some
thing like this let us say, for example,
that the average wage paid operators on
the Norfolk and Southern is S33 pei
month; on the G. f. ana Y. V. $33 per
mouth, aud on the b. and o. $52. 60 per
month. The mean average paid by the
three roads would be S33 plus S33 plus
$3.50. divided by 8, or S4003; appar
emily this is correct, actually it is far
tho
get true average, is to compare the
total sum OF money expended, with the
number Of persons to whom it is paid
Let us do so and note the result The
Norfolk and Southern employs sixteen
operators ut $50 per month, amounting
TO $500 The c. f. and y. V. EMPLOYS
forty operators at $50 per month,
amounting to 81, 400 The b. and O. en-
| ploys $50 operators ut $52 80 per month,
amounting to $45,40S. Now. the trial
mum Der OF operators employed on these
three roads is 9lG, and the total sum paid
| them is $41 36S: therefore, the actual
average is @47,36S divided by GIG. or
| SJl.Tl per month, as against $40 % by
Mr.. Barr's method, nearly 81 per cent.
| more.
| 1 hat part OF Your article referi ing To
the action of the engineers does not an
| proach the truth III the remotest degree,
| AS the operators subs tantiated every
statement they made, and, furthermore,
they have the fullest support and SYM.
| pathy Of the enginemen, az witnessed bv
the fact that their representative had
several inter views with MI. Barr for the
purpose of securing the acceptance CT the
operators proposed schedule.
If you want to know just what wages
are paid operators by the competitors of
the Norfolk and Western railroad, will
submit figures for YOU. which can a.
sure you are AS correct as the Calculated
! Statement
The average paid by the Norfolk and
Western is S41.45; by the b. and O
$50 81, by the b. and O. S.W. $47. %: by
the @. and 0. $l7 50. In addition to this
the Is. and 0. railway gives it's operator.
two days vacation each month, reason
able nay for overtime, and extra co,npen-
saii ion for attending to switch lamps.
1t is sad to see q newspaper turn over
it's editorial columns to corporation. and
if "Trnly Roanol,e's Benefactor" WIS
not written by a Norfolk aud Western
Official, it hears unmstakable evidence ui
having been inspired by one.
Yours truv,
A TOYIER
Roanoke, Va, Feb. 10