The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-07
DEMANDS MADE.
Santa Fe Shop Men Want a New
Schedule.
Grievance Committee Waits on
the Officials.
MANY INEQUALITIES.
Many INEQUALITIES.
Piece Work System Needs Much
Reconstruction.
Workmen Want the Differences
Strengthened Out.
Firm In Position and Will Not
Be SWerVed.

I =
road Wednesday afternoon, and laid be-
fore them their demand for a new
schedule and the immediate equitable
adjustment of the differences which ex-
ist between the workmen and the COM
pany on account of what they claim is
the unfair schedule of wages paid in
the piece work system in operation at
the Santa Fe shops.
If the officials of the Santa. Fe road
accede to the demand of this committee
and give the wOrlNmen a fair schedule
and fair treatment in this piece work
1 matter. then there is a possibility that
the Anticipated walk out of the several
hundred men who are employed in the
various departments of the Santa Fe
shops in this city will be declared off.
on Tuesday evening of this week the
car builders held a meeting. Every car
I builder was there and the subject Of
piece work and the schedule of wages
was thoroughly discussed. Every one
present had a chance to express himself
on the matter, and nearly every one
took opportunity to tell what he knew
and what he thought about the piece
work system as being operated IN the
shops here.
At this indignation meeting of the
car builders, after the matter had been
! thoroughly discussed and talked about,
1t was decided best to appoint a com
mittee of three to wait upon the head
officials of the road here and lay the
facts Of the case before them. 1t was
brought out DIT lLlG meeting LIldL per
haps the officials were not aware of the
true state of affairs, and if such be the
case, then it was proper that they be
apprised of the matter and be given an
opportunity of righting the difficulty
before any serious steps were taken.
Affairs at the car sheds have been as
suming deperate shape during the past
few days and the continued quitting OF
many of the best car men was gradual
ly depOpulating the shop and leaving
the ineficiency of that department in a
diminished condition. Many of those
who did not give up their positions were
unable to make wages, but held on to
their work in hopes that relief would
come OF those who did make wages,
many were compelled to work unusual
Iy hard to do 50. Something had to be
done, and as a last resort an indigna-
tion meeting was quietly planned for
Tuesday night and the men were given
opportunity to give vent to their pent
up feelings which had been consider
ably worked up during the past few
The men do not find fault with the
piece work system especially, for the
trouble lies in the fact that an unfair
schedule OF wages IS being paid. II this
schedule of wages is fixed up and
fair scale of wages is paid which viii
properly cover the operation of the
piece work system at the Topeka shops,
then, without a doubt, the men will
feel kindly toward the piece work sys-
tenn. What the men want is a fair
schedule of wages and it makes no diff
money under the piece work system or
make it at 50 much per DAY.
One of the things which has created
much hard feeling and which was one
of the grievances which the committee
was to lay before the officials was the
cutting of the wages pRid for different
piece work articles by the bosses in the
car sheds when they found that the
men were making a little too much
money on these certain piece work ar
ticles. Such action has been taken more
nd no aa1 n
it was done without the sanction of the
officials, and consequently they ought to
be Informed.
It seems that part of the present
schedule of wages to be paid in the car
sheds, has been made up from that of
eastern shops. which have the piece
work system of working. These shops
in the east, have the facilities and con-
veniences for the successful operation
of the piece work system, which are
lacking at the Santa F'e shops in this
city. In the eastern shops, the mater
ial is laid down beside the WOTkmen
and all he has to do is to work on
continuously without a thought of pro-
curing more material as he knows it
will be forthcoming when needed. Here
in the Topeka shops, the material is
not gotten out in quantities, which will
enable the men to work continuously,
and the men have many times to go
ia1 which they need. The wage sched-
ule. which would fit the needs of the
eastern shop. under such circumstances,
will not fit the needs of the shops here,
and pay the men living wages.
Again the schedule for the repair
work has been made out to fit the av-
erage car. in suppOsitiOn that the gangs
of wOrkmen will get equal numbers of
good and bad cars. If a gang should
get a string of poor cars every day for
any length of time, then they could not
make wages. If they should get a
string of other cars. which would have
to be entirely rebuilt, then the men
can make good living wages. 1t is such
inequalities as these in the schedule
which will have to be fixed up if any
thing like fairness is done to the men.
Part of the present schedule was
made out lower than the company
agreed that the work could be done
For instance, in the building of cars,
the company originally allowed 12O
hours to build a car. The different
gangs of men working on the cars RI
vailed each other in getting the cars
built in the least possible time, when
there was a rush for cars. The COM
pany's allowance of 120 hours was cut
lower and lower, until it was gotten
down to so hours, where it now stands,
and it was on the basis of so hours for
the building of a car that the COM
pany took when making out the pres
ent schedule
The men in the car sheds want a fair
schedule of wages. They want new
schedule. One which viii adjust the
differences in the price paid for the
various grades of work and one which
will pay them fair living wages The
present schedule in many particulars
is unfair Part of the men are working
on the new work and are making
wages, but they are having to work
hard to do it. Not a minute is lost and
the material for the new work is laid
down where they can easily get it, but