The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-17
BEFORE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION.
Grand Master Sargent Presents the
Views of Railroad Employees.

NEW YORK, March is- Frank r. Sar-
gent, grand master cf rae Brotherhood Of
6sxssrtai commission today. He presented
report prepared by hinsss.f ard other
chiefs Of the raisroad broshernooas. reply
Ing 10 the printed questions Of the COM
mission. This statement was suggested
BY Chiefs Arthur OF The engineers. Sargent
OF the Gremsn, Clark OF the conductors
Mofrsssey 81 the tralnmen and Powell of
the teiegraphers. IL covered all the points
involved in the relationship Of employees
10 Inc transportation companies in a gen
efD' way
The statement gave scale OF wages
paid 10 railroad men In ssl branches Of the
service, and IL was stated thai the scale
WAS determined by conference with the
railroad managers Il Was conterded that
while backissting Was no longer followed
by the railroad companies. they have adops-
ed q system uf inquiries which has about
the same effect as the blacklist Some in
sthnces of apparent attempts on the part
Oh the United states courts 10 compel ser
wee for the railroad companies were re-
eerred TO.
There was some compliant of the long
hours required OF telegraphers and yard
HEn. but 1t was stated there Was no fault
10 ma on the part of the trainmen under
this heading. The chefs united in the ex
pse5soFa tflat the practice Of running trains
on Susss.iy should be abolished
Replying 10 an inquiry AS 10 the forcing
Of men TO work by the courts the railroad
chiefs said in their statement that only
uac huesi Edst VIA on record. aud this Was
the one In which Judge jenkins Of Wis
cSnsfn. Issued an injunction with tina; ef-
Feet. IL vas recommended that some law
De enacted 10 restrict such powers OF the
courts.
They antagonized the 50 called ssyolun-
tary insurance features" Of some railroads.
because this insurance was in fact. not
voluntary. as the men could not get eni-
psoymenf on roads conducting them unless
they allowed the amount of the insurance
TO he deducted from their wages This In
Fnrznce also relieved the employers from
liability and the money paid In as insur-
anes was lost In case Of loss Of employ
mont. Altogether the employees considered
tho insurance. features merely resulted IL,
allowing the employee TO duminate the
actions Of the employe
In New England, Mr.. Sargent said there
IL very little Sunday work aene in con-
nrction with the running of trains. In the
W est there IL a great deal OF Sunday work
because siockmen want their stock nuf
into the market Monday morning. He said
The fsiiroaa companies had a disposition TO
abolish Sunday work IA far as possible, but
there was good deal nf Sunday work de !.
mansed by the public. He said there. Il a
gresi deal OF less Sunday traffic now than
there was five years ago, Mr.. Sargent said
ne had been the executive OF the Associa j.
ton u Firemen for fourteen years and he
had never failed TO satisfactorily settle any
differences between the employees and their
employers
Speaking NJ Judge jenkins action in is-
suing an Injunction, he said II had called
out epiFit Of rebellion ON the psrt Of The
e;np*ryes which Threatened serious congo.
que acsE.
Mr.. Sargent said he was serve., with This
injunction and was restrained from cat,n-
selling the men. Had that Injunction not
nrch sssasa mere never would have been
1874 ."