The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-21
New System to Be Inaugurated
In Santa Fe Shops.
Employees Are Greatly Excited
Over Change.
WHAT EFFECT WILL BE
Say 1t Means More Work and
Less Pay.
Order Will Go Into Effect on
November 1st.

There is a great deal Of excitement
at the Santa Fe shops. It is occasion
ed by the fact that the piece work sys-
TEN of working. will be put into effect
on the 1st of November. This means
less pay for a large number Of work
men For the past few months the Of
hcials in charge Of the preliminary de-
tails of this departure, have been gath
ering data and procuring schedules Of
prices paid. from many of the railroad
shops which are now using this piece
work system. From these schedules, a
new schedule will be made which viii
f1t the needs Of the Santa F'e shop here
The great amount OF work necessary
to prepare for the introduction Of this
system, requires much time and labor
before it is in shape to be successfully
tried. A new schedule must be made,
blanks and books must be provided and
necessary ARRANGEMENTS made to get
sufficient material ahead. and in such
shape that there viii be no delay when
the work really begins on the practical
test of this system Some idea of the
magnitude of such an undertaking may
be had when it is considered that
schedule OF wages must be prepared to
cover every item Of work whether 1t be
a large job, or a small one
There is some speculation as to what
department of the shops this piece work
system viii be introduced into first
The probability is that it VIII be tried
on the new work first, and If IT IS as
much of a success as is anticipated,
then it will be adopted in all depart
ments. At the present time, an order
for several hundred new box cars has
already been given out. and the dif-
ferent material necessary for their con-
struction is now being made ready
Work on these cars will be commenced
about the first of November, as 1t IS
reasonable TO suppose that by that time
the material viii be in such shape that
immediate work can be started on
the cars. with enough prepared ma
teriaI ahead that by the constant Tur-
nishing Of new material, work Will go
uninterruptedly-
This fact coupled with the knowledge
that the piece work system viii be put
into operation about the first of the
month. give good reasons to believe
that this system viii first be tried on
this order for new box cars If success
fuI in this instance then It Will be in
trOduced into other departments There
is a possibility that the system viii be
placed in operation IN all the depart
ments on the first Of November and in
this way make a general test of the
merits of the piece work system
The ultimate result Of the intrOduc-
ton of the piece work system at the
Santa Fe shops can only be guessed If
a fair scale of prices is made out for
the men, then no hardship will result
but If a low scale of wages is deterHin-
ed upon it may be a detriment to both
the company and the men.
The company can afford to pay
good scale of wages. as by so doing it
will weed out the lazy element of Ia
bOrers and the bets mechanics will be
left It viii be of no advantage for
man to work for the company, If a fair
scale of wages is not paid In all trades
there are different classes of Workrnen,
and by the Introduction of the piece
work system. all classes of labor are put
upon an apparently equal footing IhiS
equal footing will include all grades of
labor above the lowest grade, and
uniform scale of wages viii be paid to
| these men
| Unless a fair schedule of wages is
paid the good WOrkmen cannot afford to
stay with the company for they viii not
| get enough pay for their work, and
| likewise the poor workman cannot az
| ford 10 stay as he viii not earn enough
/ to keep him in food OWING 70 MS SLOW
and inferior quality of work
/ By the introduction of the piece sys-
tenn the foremen will have to work
1 harder as it Will compel them to be
I certain that the material for job IS
| all ready before the mechanic is put to
work Also in keeping track of their
/ wOrkmen their work viii be increased
!
| attend to and rigid inspection on their
| part will be absolutely necessary in or
/ der to be sure that the Workmen do not
| slight their work in their haste to do
| more work. consequently bringing them
/ in more wages. There are instances al
/ ready reported in the shops where this
/ piece wOrk is now in use that the work
/ men skim over their WOrkand do an in
/ ferior grade Of work in their wish to
/ get through
In any event It is conceded by. many
/ that the company is the loser in the
| long run. for the introduction of the
! niece work system into their shops
/ Without 4 doubt it viii weed out many
| with this fact an unfair scale Of
! wages is paid it Will tend to force the
| Iaborers to slight their work hurry
| through with one job and get another,
/ in their haste to get as much done as
/ possible In this way the company viii
/ save a great many hundred dollars IN
/ wages and at the same time will get
| an inferior grade of work
| Already. and for several weeks past
| since the talk Of the piece work system
| has been talked Of as a certainty, some
| of the workmen and good mechanics
1 have given up their jobs and sought
| work at other place The reason for
| their doing this is that they fear that
/ a scale Of wages will be promulgated
| which viii SO materially cut down
! their present salaries that it will be
| impossible for them to make living
| wages.
| Upon good authority it is stated that
| the scale of wages which the men viii
| receive under the piece work system
/ viii be based on 20 cents an hour. This
| viii put all classes of mechanics on ap-
] parentIy the same level. and the goo6
/ workman will get no more than the
man does the more work. but at the