The sun., 1901-12-11
The Labor Question as Treated by the
Railroads.

The Labor Question as Treated by the
Railroads.
The November bulletin Of the national
Department OF Labor is devoted to
thorough explanation Of the present
conditions of the railway employees
/ Of the United States, and accordingly
| it is an interesting and very sugges-
| tive document. As these employees were
! an industrial army numbering l,0l7 ,6S3
on the 3Oth OF June 1900, they constitute
a considerable percentage OF the total
number Of persons over ten years OF age
/ who are now engaged in gainful occu-
pations. Let us summarize some OF
tho more striking facts presented,
Very careful discrimination is used
in selecting men for railroad employ
ment Usually. the applicant is required
to fill out a blank containing large
number of questions concerning his
qualifications, experience and personal
characteristics, as, for example, whether
married or single, his eyesight, hearing.
general health. and his habits az to the
use Of intoxicating liquors, morphine
or opiu:a. He must also present a GER
tihcate of character. All employees
except unskilled day laborers must have
a good common school education, and
generally they must work their way up
through the lower grades of the service.
frequently even college graduates begin
H., ro,,,AoIiner with trnin sarylf,a
iiremen on freight engines.
Abstinence from the use of intoxicating
liquors is demanded very generally
Some roads have even gone so far re-
Gently as TO make rules against the
employment of habitual cigarette smok-
ers, on the ground that the habit dis
orders the nervous system. Younger
men than formerly are now required,
those over IS years of age finding diff
Guilty in getting into the service, unless
they have had previous railroad ex-
perienoe, and many roads will not take
in any new man over that age. Service IN
railways has come to be regarded more
and more as an employment for life,
and with that view young mon enter
il in the lower ranks, with the hope Of
making their way up.
/ As 20 the matter of discipline and
discharges. the Brown system" 50
called because worked out by "A rail-
rond superintendent Of that name. has
been adopted. in lis main features by
fftv-seven railroads with about one
third of the entire mileage Of the Union
It's basis 10 the merit and dcmeri, record
system. The personal record in the SER
vice of every employee is kepl and l.
never shown 10 ANYBODY. though an en-
plovea NAV get at any time "A copy Of hiS
own record Every irregulari,y Tor
which the man ~ responsible is noted. and
when shch entries begin 80 appear
against him he In informed thai II the
LIST ge,s too long he will he considered
a failure though he vii have another
chance 10 remedy his deleds when
a.. rage IS full. il ends with the words.
discharged. incompetent 4 second
feature is a bulletin II every irregularty
~ the road. pu.tad wh,rc men ~ a.,
dspartmsut b. Nhi,h u t.uk place may
49,. IA ~ name. a. uD4T but Wlth tht
d..c,.,t..u of IA. n,.d.nt aro oom-
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l.,, avoided .nd how uiuuou- b, IA
d, IA. irt.t.-ts II a.. uuiupaiy aud
th... Is.ysAs d,sa,ss ,u amnrY tL,
r,.. U,r f...foads have found tlAi
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.f,ru.at, elf .untfs,sn..ut and ali
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