The evening times., 1899-10-09
MR.. CALLAWAY qESIIFIES
A Railroad President Before the
Industrial Commission.
The New York CentraHs Head Tells
OF the Details of Freight Rates.
How His Line Is Eauipped-The
Question of Wages and Labor
UniOns-Pacific Coast Investigation

The first witness before the Industrial
Commission this morning was S. r. Gala
way, President of the New York Central
Railroad Company. His testimony was a
statement OF the railroad side Of the trans
portation question, and the alleged dis
ordinations. In the absence of Senator
Kyle. Senator Mallory presided.
After Mr. Galloway had testified as to his
residence, he said he had been railroad
man since 1868. and that he had been presi-
dent of the New York Central since July
last. He had been president Of the Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad and
other roads. His testimony was prepared,
and ne read it. He said 1t depended upon
employees as to how long he renamed with
the New York Central Company. He gave
some testimony as to wages paid. saying
trainmen are paid by the trip and shop
men by the hour. No reductions are made
The time OF employment on trains is linn
tied to eight or ten hours. Telegraph op-
orators are not required to work more than
twelve hours.
1t would not be practicable, he said, to
not be done without injury to the public,
because much of the freight is perishable.
Mr.. Galloway said that personally he is
much opposed to Sunday work. and it is
limited as much as possible. There was no
delay on the part of the New York Central
in providing airbrakes and couplers as re-
Quired by Congress. Since this equipment
the number of casualties has decreased; (;
block signals are used between New York
and Buffalo, and steam instead of stoves
is used for heating. The trains are large-
ly lighted by the Pintsch light and cleo
tricity. Railroad Christian Associations are
provided with rooms at all of the termini
Of the road, and branches are open to all
employees who pay nominal dues At most
OF them lunch rooms are provided where
meals may be obtained for from 10 to %
cents.
The last strike on the road, he said, was
caused by employees objecting to their su-
periors. This was before Mr.. Galloway was
president. and he said he was not familiar
with the details. Employees are examined
before they take the trains out for the
purpose of ascertaining if they had been
drinking. A rule of the road is that no
man shall be employed who is an habitual
drinker.
The company has no objections to en-
ployes belonging to brotherhoods. AS a
general thing he, personally, had got along
very well with employees belonging TO them.
He said there could be no such thing as
compulsory arbitration Mr.. Galloway said
he had no objection to arbitration or to
almost anything except permitting the en-
ployes to run the road for the officers. He
said the New York Central seldom had
trouble with employees, except over vital
questions. and that one of these would be
wages He did not believe in arbitration
TO regulate wages, for he believed the COM
pany knows best the amount it can pay in
wages. He said that the pay roll of the
company now is 1000, 600. If the en-
ployes should demand an increase of 10 per
cent ii would make a large sum, and which
at present the company could not pay.
Mr.. Galloway, continuing, said he could
not say whether the company had contracts
with labor organizations. He personally
had a number. srr'
Mr.. Kennedy asked the witness IL rail-
roads should not pay damages for injuries
sustained by persons not employed by them
when caused by carelessness of employees.
The witness said that the question was a
broad one that he would not object to It
if such an act could be applied to all other
employers from corporations down to far
mers.
There is not as much danger now, he
said as there was twenty years ago. Mr..
Galloway said that there are three reasons
for this; first, the competition by rail-
roads; second. the competition OF water
ways, and, third, the commercial competi-
ton.
Mr.. Galloway continued with the state
ment that rates are now so low that they
cannot be cut, but owing to the better
nf ha
some ypads. by engines and steel rails
that company can under the low rates
make profit, because Of its greater haul
ing capacity for trains. He believed that
in time diferentials between the West and
New York will have to be abolished His
company had been trying for a long time
to accomplish this. In a general way the
price fixed in Liverpool and other cities
abroad for grain regulates the rates for
transportation in this country; the rail-
roads are obliged to take into considera-
ton the cost of transportation to Liverpool
in fixing their rates for hauling.
During the year and half that Mr. Cal
laway had been connected with the New
York Central there had been but one COM
plant Of local rates. Factories are going
up all the time along his road. II is the
duty Of the company to regulate its rates
SO as to compete with its rivals
The Commission decided Saturday to
send a subeommission in November to the
Pacific Coast to enquire into all the condi-
tions Of labor. The subcommittee will pur-
sue the same lines that the whole commit
tee has followed in this city.
The subcommittee consists of Senator
Kyle, E. d. Conger, Hon. "A. L. Harris.
and Representatives John ]. Gardner and
L. F. Livingston.