The Portland daily press., 1899-05-22
GRAND TRUNK.
Delegation Of Firemen and En-
gineers in Montreal.
Comforting with Omcisls of the Road
Over Certain Changes They
Desire Made.

Annually committees representing the
Grand Trunk Hremen and engineers visit
Montreal d for. the purpose Of comforting
with the officials OF the road over certain
changes which they are DESTROYS OF hav-
ing made in the operation Of the road.
These committees are now making their
annual visit and on Saturday last they
reached Montreal to havs talk with y.
W. Morse, superintendent of the motive
power and the Grand Trunk manage
ment. 1t is said that one Of the objects
of this visit Is to ask for an increase OF
pay. The engineers now receive "a. %
per 100 miles run and argue that the time
has come when that amount should be
increased to 80. The conference between
Mr.. Morse and the men Will be held this
week.
The trackmen seem to have griev.
snce against the Grand Trunk and Satur-
day night deputation. reached Montreal
to lay the matter before the management
of the road with a view of securing a re-
dress of the matter they complain.kof.
The following statement OF their griev-
ance has been prepared by the executive
committee of the United Brotherhood Of
Railway Trackmen:
1.-THE G. 7. r. trackmen have been
trying for some time past to have the
many grievances under which they suffer
redressed. For this purpose committee
Of them waited upon Mr.. McGuigan last
June, 1898. but beyond little taf1y the
committee got no satisfaction. AS mat
ters were steadily getting worse they
made a more determined effort this spring
to get some settlement with the company
and to this end sought interviews with
their superior officers till their committee
again met Mr.. MoGuigan. Again they
got no redress, and SO they applied to
Mr.. Hays. The case is still In his hands
with the probability that If he refuses
justice there will be trouble with the
trackmen. 'u'e
Their pay is, foremen $3.50 per day.
Men, 81, from which is deducted to 8
cents per day by the company for insur-
ance. making the money. actually received
81. AZ and 9S cents per day.
"Then they. arc taken away on extra
work, often being on duty IS to II hours
per.day, and no overtime allowed. FIJI
teen to seventeen hours for 9S centsl
"And most CALLING of all a foreman was
dismi ssed, a good reliable man, because he
would not say he was satisfied with his
psy-sl.5O.
For similar service and a 10 hour day,
the Canadian Pacific railway, which paid
the same rates in similar localities In
1897, now pays foremen 81. 20 and men
$l.15 to $l.25. The Boston 81 Maine in
similar localities pays foremen So and
men ST.. 80, where the Grand Trunk rail-
way pays $3.50 and $l.OO. And on the
Canadian Pacific and B. s. NJ. the men
are not taken away on extra work.
Under the circumstances 1t may easily
be understood that the men have real
grievances. The Canadian Pacific rail-
way has raised their trackmen's pay In
1897 and again in 1898, when traffic got
good, and in spite or the good times on
the Grand Trunk railway, trackmen are
still working for 80 cents per day. And
on Thanksgiving day and Christmas
DAYS, on many divisions, all these men
were laid off 90 reduce expenses. bringing
the amount man got to keep a family
20 cents per day."
dent of the Grand Trunk when seen in
Montreal about the statement given out
by the Brotherhood. said that all he
wished to say was that this committee
had waited upon him twice. Subsequent
ly they went to the general amnager who
now had their representations under con-
sideration.