The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-09-19
HUNDRED THOUSAND
men INVOLVED
Confirmation From Chicago Of
Trainmen's Plan to Secure
-. r.. "
~. Higher Wages.
WAGES MOST uNEQuAL
While Dividends Have Increased Enor-
rnously, There Has Been No Gen.
eral Revision of Wages on
Western Roads.

railroad lines are expected to be the
first ones against which pressure will
be brought by their employees for in
creased schedules of wages. There is
no longer doubt that employees are
moving to perfect the greatest organ
1Zatlon ever made in this or any other
country, n hat its object is to bring
about cooperation Of all the railroad
employees unions, in forcing the COM
pany to. grant increased wages.
Utmost care has been taken to pre-
vent exposure of the plans. Such pub
Hclty as has been given has been main
~ inaccurate and misleading. It has
Deen given out that the trainmen were
the chief movers, and the engine men
nave not been associated with the move
ment. On high authority it Is laid
that not only the trainmen but also en-
g1neers, hremen, switcnmen and shop
men are interested in the contemplated
demand for larger wages, with the
possible alternative Of the most gigan-
tic strike ever known in this country.
Immense Number Involved.
A movement backed unitedly by the
employees Of the Chicago-Missourf
river and ~Chicago-Twin City lines,
would involve directly, 1t is estimated,
about 100000 men. But in addition there
would be at least as many more thrown
out of work by the suspension Of bust
ness, If that should result. What it
would involve indirectly, in suspension
OF business, losses to manufacturing,
1obbing and retail concerns, etc., cannot
even be estimated. Should it reach a
point Of a tie-up Of the roads in this
territory, 1t would make a, greater ca
lamlty n a the coal strike, and the
greatest in the country's history. The
representatives of the employees saw
further that it would be the most COM
plete and effective, for it would not be
undertaken unless they were certain
they could enforce the utmost meas
ures.
But they do not expect to see a strike
or a tie-up. They expect the railroad
companies will grant, if not all de-
mands, at least enough to give a fair
basls Tor getting together. A strike, it
is said, will result only in case the rail-
road companies refuse to make any
concessions which the men can con-
slder reasonable. AS the roads all rec
ognize the organizations, and regular
~ negotiate accommodations of differ
ences. with Them, it Is considered en-
tlrely improbable that in the present
case there will be departure from the
rule OF many years.
What the Men Want.
M employees urge that their case is
so strong that they will have the pub
nc on their side from the start. Moth
ing like a complete setting forth of
their claims has been made thus far. In
substance they say that labor is now
getting a far less share of the proceeds
OF railroad operation than ever before.
Capital is getting a much larger share,
In a decade there has been no general
revision OF schedules Of wages on west
ern roads. In that period the returns
to shareholders have immensely in
creased, while in the same time the
wages of the men lave stood still, and
the cost of living has greatly increased.
RMS is not all. The men say the con-
ditions of r~ailroading in the west have
greatly changed in this period. Not so
many years ago railroads west of Chi
cago We're very different from lines east.
The western roads had poorer track.
poorer equipment, lighter engines and
cars, hauled smaller loads, made slower
speed, and in general were not to be
compared with eastern lines. Under
those conditions eastern men were paid
much higher wages than western, and
there was no protest.
Nowadays the traveller from the
west notes no change n passing through
Chicago. Western roads are as well
equipped, as fast, and as profitable as
| those OF the east. Their tracks are
doubled, their trains are v~estibuled
throughout and Of the finest construc-
ton.
Inequality Is Urged.
/, Yet the eastern employees, it is
charged, receive much higher wages
than western employees Of the same
class and responsibility. The time has
come, employees believe, to ~equalize
these things. They believe the western
companies will admit the reasonable
ness of their claims and freely concede
enough to make a settlement posi-
, BILE. 81.
Aside from the inequality alleged be-
tween eastern and western wages, it is
claimed that men on western roads
work under such widely different con-
ditions from those of a few years ago,
/ that they earn more money. On freight
trains for example, the engineer is now
responsible for everything that relates
to the train running. Practically all
cars are equipped with air brakes. At
least enough are to make it possible to
handle trains under air. This means
that the full responsibility Of making
starts and stops is upon the engineer.
Under the cid hand brake regime, on
approaching a town the engineer shut
off steam n Whistled for brakes. The
brakemen and conductor, on the rear
end. We're responsible, after that, for
stopping the train. Now, the engineer
stops the train with his air. The fast
schedules n differing conditions pro-
vide other duties for the trainmen.
| while the engineer is responsible for
starting, stopping and making time.
Schedules are faster and harder to
make. Engines are heavier and fremen
must shovel more coal than formerly,
In every way the work is more exact-
Ing, heavier Inc deserving Of better
/ compensation.
Great Organization Needed.
The railroad men realize that they
can secure what they believe is fair
only through high organization.
strike of all the employees on a single
system would be of little avail. Finan-
cially and otherwise, the systems are
SO closely related that other lines would
help the weak road; instead of going
after its business, as they used to do
under such conditions, they would
make cause with 1t against the strikers.
The result would be certain failure.
To oppose the community Of interest
system insthe finances and manage
ment, iti is necessary to organize agreat
community Of among the work.
ers. This, 1t is said, has been accom-
nlished. Instead of fighting a single
road at a time g group of railroads
will be taken at once. A great.section
of country will be tied up. Competing
/ lines will be9unabie5 to help the suffer-