Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-05-01
RAILROAD NEWS.

From the Topeka Journal.
Ell Paso, Apr. a8.-For some time
there has been something doing"
among the trainmen and engine men
on the Rock Island. The wages
formerly paid by that company have
not been up to the standard COM
pared with the wages paid by other
roads. The men on the road how
ever have been living in hopes of
something better and it seems as if
their hopes are about to be realized.
Last Saturday the Order of Rail
way Conductors and Order of Rail
way Trainmen grievance committees
had a final hearing with General
Manager Greig and completed very
satisfactory arrangements concern
ing their pay in the future.
Formerly the trainmen were get
ting paid on a salary basis with
overtime after twelve hours. Con-
ductors we're getting sI2o and brake
men $50, and 315 and 25 cents pei
mile for overtime.
The new schedule secures pay fol
overtime after ten hours and 1873
cents per hour for conductors and
23B cents for brakemen. This fig,
ures out four dollars and three dol
lars her hundred with the advantage
of two hours overtime pay. The
The schedule is as near like the
Santa Fe schedule as possible.
"While the new schedule is moi
what we wanted exactly, we are vel
satisfied with it," said Rock ISLAND
conductor yesterday.
Something over a week ago the
enginemen on the Rock Island Sc
cured hearing with General Mana
ger Greig and presented a. .proposec
schedule which was promptly turned
down. Some time ago the com
pany, it is understood, presented {:
schedule to the enginemen allowing
the engineers 81 per day but want
ed to cut the freman's wages from
S2.65 to S2.6 The men would
not stand for it and in turn made ;
demand for a schedule allowing en-
gineers $40 and hremen So. 80
with the result mentioned above.
When the enginemen were turned
down there was some talk of STRIKE
on their part and some of them say
they probably missed the best op
portunity they will ever get TO
striking and winning out. There il
an immense amount of traffic on thu
Rock Island just now and the Rocl
Island could not afford to be tiec
up with a strike. The matter o
striking is not left to the enginemer
however. They must present &;
grievance to the head lodge which
must give them orders to strike be
fore they can do so. 1t is under
stood that Chief Arthur of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi
neers, is now considering the griev
ance of the Rock Island engineer.
and it is expected his decision will
be forthcoming. Should he order /:
strike then the men on the Rock Is
land would go out in a jiffy.
Last night trainman in talking
of the above said:
"The Rock Island engineers anc
fremen can not be satisfied with tn,
same schedule as the Santa Fe roac
is paying, for the simple reason tina
the Rock Island engines are of thu
big double compound type and re
quire an immense amount of worl
to operate them. The Santa Fe en-
gines are smaller and more easily
operated"
| Developments concerning th'
grievance of the Rock Island en-
ginemen are expected every day
which simply means continuance
at the present schedule or pay or (
strike for it is understood that tn,
Rock Island officials are not in fav
or of increasing the pay of the en-
CINE men.
Camping in Colorado is one o
81, ,,,1,& la1;ob +f,,I aol ;-av-1,-;,,