The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-09


morning, and giving the officials time
to look over the schedule, and arrive at
some satisfactory agreement regarding
the matter, the company would COM
municate with the WOrkmen and ap-
prise them of their action in the mat
ter
As a few instances of the Iowness of
the price placed on certain pieces of
work by the company, the lowing ex-
amples are given: In the case of tax
ing down a Wagner door and replacing
1t with a standard door. the company
alOWed 80 cents for the work. Accord
ing to the men who have to do the work
1t would take a man about four hours
and half to do the work. including the
procuring of the material and the talk
ing down and the replacing of the ad-
1acent parts, and for this work he
should receive at least one dollar In
this transaction the company is 20
cents too low in its price.
Again, in the making of an end door
change, one man can do the work in
about three hours, and for this work
should receive according to the work
mems idea. about IS cents. The COM
pany allows only 40 cents for this work
"a difference Of 25 cents.
Again, in order to take down a tie
beam, the rods must be taken out the
couplings unlocked. other minor things
done, and then everything put back
into place again. This work ought to
to the men should be worth at least 20
cents The company schedule only al
lows so cents for this work, which is
accordingly % cents too low.
The experience of two VOrkmen while
on piece work might be cited. The two
men, good WOrkmen. worked fast in or
der to try the schedule. They had to
fix the tie beam on a car. tighten the
car, put in new pocket, and do such
little extras as came in with the fixing
UP of the car. The two men were near
~ four hours in doing this work, and
the total sum allowed by the cOmpany's
schedule for doing this work, amount
ed to S1-0S. According to this scale ami
the number OF hours consumed in the
work, the men would be receiving pay
at the rate of 1872 an hour. This is
surely too low a price for a skilled me-
chanic, especially when he has former
~ received nearly twice that amount
per hour under the day work system.
When the committee called on Mr..
Hancock in regard to the grievances
and during the course of the talk be
tween him and the committee, Mr.
Hancock said: THE piece work is here
TO stay. BY its adoption, the company
expects to get more use out of its ma
chinely and shop room, and increase
the output of the shops. The intention
of the company is to treat the men
right"
The conversation from Mr.. Hancock
dispels any idea that some of the men
had in regard to the piece work being
put in as an experiment in some of the
departments of the shops. 1t is evident
that the piece work will be introduced
into the other departments of the shops
as quickly as the trouble can be allev-
lated in the car sheds and as soon as
the schedules can be made out and the
necessary arrangements completed for
its proper workings.
What kind of a schedule viii be given
to the other departments of the shop
can only be cOnjectured, but it is evil
dent that the company intends to go
over the schedule carefully before Civ
ing it to the men, so as to avoid any
such friction a second time, as has de-
VelOped in the car sheds The other de-
partTnentS are expecting the piece work
to be introduced any day and they are
already organized and ready to take
any action which they think advisable,
having taken advantage of the trouble
which the car sheds have had.
The committee which is to revise the
schedule for the use and government
of the men who work in the car sheds,
was appointed at the meeting last even
ing. and are now busy going over the
cOmpany's schedule and making such
corrections as the members think ought
to be made. The committee is composed
OF some the best WOTkmen in the car
sheds, and the result of their labOrs
will be a good fair schedule which is
not only fair to the men, but will like
wise be fair to the company. The COM
mittee expects to get the work done
in ample time to go over the revised
schedule carefully before handing it in
to the company on Monday morning
While the committee talked with Mr. !
Hancock and Mr.. Hodge, it was dis
tinctly understood that the men should
continue with their work and not cause
any trouble for the company by any
walk out until they knew what cOnces- I
sions the company Will make. Follow
ing up this promise, the men will go I
ahead with their work. The men came !
back to the car sheds today and clean
ed up the refuse and scraps, free of all {
charge, as is provided in the schedule.
The new revised schedule which the !
committee is working on will be given
to the officials on Monday morning. and /
1t IS expected that some time during the !
week the committee and the officials /
VIII again meet ana discuss the matter !
Said one man at the meeting last !
evening; III his piece work system is !
the wrong thing for the working people. /
building them UP. The company is in /
juring itself in putting this system into \
operation at the shops, and before it is |
through with this piece work system it !
will realize that it has made a mistake. |
1t looks to me as though It was false /
economy"
Said another well known man and F.
a good workman: mo department of I
the Santa Fee shops here in Topeka has /
the equipment for the beginning and /
the proper carrying on of the piece /
work system of working. The material |
will be lacking for straight steady /
and in this case the men viii /
lose. by lack of material and poor ia
cilitieS. The company will gain a few
time. but I fear that in the
long run the company viii lose also"
In speaking of the present schedule,
and the probable work to be done, an
other workman SAID: Taking the
schedule it is given to US and con-
sidering the class of cars which viii
come into the shop for repairs, no man
can win"
The Santa Fe Railroad company
hoes not realize how very near it came /
to having = walk out on its hands,
said prominent railroad man this
morning, and one who is not connected I
With the car sheds department.. The
men in that department We're about
'eady to walk out on Tuesday evening
at the close Of working hours on ac-
,nmnt of the mnfair thinGs zrhi.h Id