The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-11
RAILROAD NEWS.
No Change in Situation at Santa
Fe Shops.
Officials Are waiting Car Mems
Schedule.
BOSSES ARE BLAMED.
Hen Now Say They Are RespOn-
sible For Unfair Prices.
Satisfactory Adjustment of
Trouble is Likely.

| There is little change in the situation at
| the Santa Fe shops, relative to the piece
| work controversy between the workmen
! in the car sheds and the officials of the
company. In all probability there will not
be much change this week. as the making
up and submitting of a new schedule by
the committee appointed by the car men
at the request of the officials, and the
time it will take to go over this new
schedule Will no doubt take the greater
part of the week. 1t will be next week
at the earliest before the officials viii be
ready to render their decision regarding
In the meantime the men in the car
sheds will continue in their old places, at
the former scale of wages, and Will do
the work assigned them 1t is not known
what action viii be taken by the company
the new schedule of wages, but it is
anticipated that the schedule will be tried
as 1t IS submitted.
Everything is moving along. smoothly at
the car sheds. Saturday afternoon the
men went pack to work fully expecting 70
clean up the refuse, which is one of their
grievances on account of having to do 1t
Tree OF charge me men dld not 90 the
the cleaning up on Saturday, however, as
they were not asked to do it 1t was done
by the men VINO are pald by the day, ana
some few of those working on piece work
but We're paid 50 much per hour Tor this
special occasion
The men in the car sheds, have, ever
the blame on the lower officials, the boss
eS of the car sheds. IA no time have the
would Intentionally put into operation a
scale of prices, too low for the men to
would in any way injure the men. 1t is
stated that it is not the officials who are
responsible for the unfair schedule, but
the bosses of the car sheds.
The facts in the matter as given upon
good authority. are as follows;
The company. when making arrange
mentS to put the piece work in opera ton
in the car sheds, secured schedules of
wages from several eastern shops, and
from these schedules made out one which
far can be learned, was fair. When
the bosses of the car sheds We're consult
ed in the matter, they submitted a sched-
ule FAR below that arranged by the COM
pany, and as it was thought the bosses
knew their business, their schedule was
taken The company schedule was cut
down in many places and the result of
this was the unfair schedule of wages.
which came very near causing waIkout
at the shops
Many of the men say that the bosses
do not know enough about car building
end repairing to make them able judges
of whether the schedule was fair or I'M
fair 1t is the lgnOrance--Of the bosses in
the matter of time required and prices to
be paid for car building and repairing
trouble. so the men say
A concession on the part of the com
pany has beene made to the men in the
car sheds IN reference to who shall con-
St1tute the gangs OF WOrkmen. Heretofore
the gangs have been composed of such
ed together. An order was given out on
Friday that the different gang bosses
could pick their respective men. This or
der is pleasing as it gives a chance for
men of the same speed and capability to.
become associated together in gangs. This
workman on a gang hindering the work or
holding the other men