The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-12
NE SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
r,,DE>T SPENCER BEFORE THE
f"' IyDUSTRIAL COMMISSION

c.,or Line Among Employees Ia In tho
IN ,,.,,sr OF Wages Only-NeRroes Get Ten
D. cent. Less Pay Than Whitcs-WnEea
,,,,r Than in tho North, but Living
,beaper-He Would Abolish Passes.
v,sutxcToS, Oct. l1.-Mr. Samuel Spencer
.,Nor York. president OF the Southern rail-
w. svstem, was before the Industrial Com
i.ston to-day and proved valuable and
,n"..,ostinR witness. He discussed the con-
',,iors Of lahor. living and wages in tho South.
.ha color line between railroad employees.
.'"ro, brokerage and many other matters con-
,sr,,ne railroads. The examination was con-
I.n,od by Senator Mallory OF Florida. Messrs.
ra,ouhnr, Kennedy and Ratchtord OF the Com
r,is.ion. also asked questions.
Mr. snencer said that he had been In the
abroad business for thirty years. In addition
=" hang president OF the Southern Railway. he
y. Connected with the Erie. Chesapeake and
m.Io chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul. and
yo-thsrn Pacific railroads as director.
.Th. Southern Railroad Company employs
.,.,,, 81 600 men," he said. of whom fair
".rcontaee are colored We have found. how
.y.r that co!ored workmen are not capable OF
n.r,orminc the duties OF engineers or con-
srr,,rs with any advantage to the company.
Thay are accordingly Ineligible for promotion
a. h.se grades For this reason generalrule
.,r,i,, IN Southern lines that white workmen
.h,Il receive 10 per cent higher wages than
ooI,red vorkmen in the same grades. AZ
roorlv ms | can determine. this discrepancy
docs not discourage nor dishearten the colorcd
yolkmen.
"In the South wages are generally lower than
In ,he North. Living ia also cheaper. so the
comforts obtainabls by employees In the two
localities are about the same. AS n rule our
man are not only capable and steady. but loyal
"a the interests Of the Southern road. Such MS
nyove unfit for our work We discharge. Keeping
m accurate record OF all discharged mon and
Oh, reasons therefor. This roll is popularity
regarded asa blacklist Whether 1t Is or not
Ic,nrot say. But we have found it necessary
10 keep such record. and will probably DO 30
hsnceforth Blacklists are. however. growing
less common in the South. and vii! eventually
disappear, think
The question Of Sunday labor and movement
ottraius was discussed. The Southern Rail-
vay Company" said Mr. Spencer. does not
Civ, extra pay for Sunday work. though II Is
tho policy Of tho company to handle as little
freight as possible on sundays without detri-
ment to the service
He considered the law in Georgia forbtdding
the movement Of freight on Sunday. as objec-
,ionable. 1t entaed additional expense to the
company, in that sheds and roundhouse facili-
ties had to be provided at points where they
would not otherwise he built. 1t operated also
he said to keep many tranmcn away from
their homes on Sunday. thus increasing their
EXPENSES. as they could live cheaper at homo
than abroad.
Senator Mallory said that the United States
Supreme Court had sustained the Georgia
Sunday law as constitutional.
Mr. Kennedy asked IL this Sunday law might
not be evaded. and the witness replied that it
was Psrshable freight Is excepted from the
operation Of the law. and in some States car
load Of perishable freight had been used to
carry through train load OF non perishablo
stuff.
In answer TO questions by Mr.. Ratchford the
witness said he did not believe that the employ
ment OF cclored flremsn and trainmen had any
lpprecable effect on the rate OF wages paid to
the white men in corresponding positions.
Labor was cheaper throughout the South than
In the North Living was cheaper. Men did
bot need so much clothing and fuel.
He denied that there was any open objection
10 the employment OF coored labor on the part
hthe white employees. There was no COM
plant against the wages on the part OF the
Southern employees. Wages had been re-
dueed, but recently had been practically re-
stored. owing to the revival in business.
rapidly improyed." said Mr. spence rs Os, ths
proved oars now opsratsd on freight lines. and
the mum Der OF through complete passenger
trains have been nearly doubled within ten
years. Our own supplies are vastly better than
they have ever been before"
Mr.. Spencer said that in the matter OF auto
matte couplings the equipment on the South
ntH
tad hand-holds 100 per cent The road would
be e1uipped as directed By law by Jan. next.
thc limit, OF the extension granted by the In
these appliances would tend TO decrease the
number OF caSsualities. but the element OF care
ietsneSs could never be done away with. A
very large percentage OF casualties on rail-
roads. he said. was due to carelessness grow
ing out OF the habitual use OF dangerous In
Mr.; Spencer expressed radical views regard
Ing the use of passes and ticket brok erage.
.,haa lG "a, other railway enterrrises." he said.
hammered. however. by two abuses-passes and
ticket brokerage. II had my way no railroad
company con would issue single pass. Passes
seems TO mo. and are unfair to the purchaser Of
regular Nrst-class passenger tickets. The
,ybrokelage system has already, been aired in
me papers. But it remains to be said that As
t;pnc as exists the number c: special priv
Nrges offered railroad patrons must be small. q
womb lite to see statute passed which
tarry ms reform 40 far "a to prohibit the lssu-
lnS OF i'asses by one road to the officers OF AN
olher road, would like to have this m after 40
arranged thar | would have to nav my fare
whenever got on railroad train even on my
o"n toan II Were travelling on the business
=, the southern Company | could be REIN
, cursed i"r the expense incurred. That 10 a
Wy radical view Of the question. but radical
measure is required to do away with the free
lie was sorry, he said to have to admit that
i shbHe railrosds solicited business by putting
,nelr mileage books and tickets in the hands
q, o. brokers'. He considered this a violation OF
t ne tate Commerce law. which provides
t thao IalroSd rates shall not lie reduced without
Gays notice "'''''' ''A
MT srencer devoted considerable time to n
discussion =! matters OF railroad management
ooSpecla'Iv thoie in which there had bee n,hbuses
e err ., which grew. the demand for Gov
Intsrpeetn., control and the passage OF the
.cnuerstate Commerce act. He said the
G DAN had accomplished good
cr,In "" publicity OF action and in the prose-
isw s''H 81 some people who had violated tho
": .omolGh there had not been many such
Sian my, ,ngo me Interstate Commerce Commits
snn h 70 rH reasonable" rates. He wanted
,w question decided by a regular court at
Intar,m,n" would submit such a question to the
eonstt,ae commerce Commission il it were
oeao ''utoI as court. with a life tenure OF
in ne LuHIic ownership OF railroads was not.
fems, U'h!loh, the proper or even successful
F"nng. ior twisting troubles.
saiJl-Ltrhcs al over the country, Mr. Spencer
tSs L ~ - lat every year the amount received by
taoa tiWais per Passenger per mile Is less than il
r n hsN