The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-07-23
PULLMAN PAY ADVANCED.
Conductors on Request Raised $40 TO
10 SIS a Month.
THERE WAS NO DEMONSTRATION
A Monster Petition Quietly Circulated
Had the Desired EHect--Por-
tiers and Their Tips.

The pay Of the Pullman car conductors
has ben increased. In some instances the
monthly increase Is SO: In others 1t Is $40
II all depends upon the length OF the serv-
ice. Eli new men will be hereafter EN-
ployed at higher rate of pay. About two
months ago the employees of the company
came to the conclusion that they deserved
an increase. This was due perhaps TO the
germ OF agitation which Is most active DUR
ing the SUNNI months Having no organ
iZation Of any kind and not being affiliated
with al railway union, the men began a
system Of correspondence. which soon took
the fOrm of mammoth petition, conserva-
lively describing the needs OF the men,
their loyalty In the past and at the present
time, aud asking for a raise of salary.
There was no threat implied, no utimatun,
no HUT OF action OF any kind in case the
petition WAS not granted Nearly all of the
conductors signed II.
Pullman conductor on the Denver
Houston run stated last night that the men
to whom the petition was intrusted nad
been instructed to observe absolute secrecy
concerning the petition and not to Jivulge
WORD Of It to the newspapers. 'LorI
but we are lucky said the conductor. III
the New York yellOws, for Instance, had
tumblCd to our proceedings thes would
have blazoned 1t forth as an impending
struggle between the Pullman company and
Its employees They would have fed their
black lace lower case type until It as
sumed box-car proportions and lugged In a
dlatribe against George NJ. Pullman and
the present officials ana the company see
ing II, wothd have BEEN convinced that we
were talking strike Then ii would have
! been all or with But, you see we
sawed wood and said nothing. II the COM
pany had paid no attention to our petition
We should stu have sawed wood and said
nothing for VIC gre Ike the good citizens of
Houston-unarmcd and unorganized.
when the petition was sent out many
old employees looked askancc at II. One old
fellow whom | met took the petition tu The
general superintendent and asked him II
he had any objections to his signing IT, |
was gratlted to hear the boss reply Why,
no, you idiot Where's your backbone 2
| Sign 1t, of course There were several
| like that fellow. They were afraid OF their
| jobs, we sent the petition on to the pres,
! ident about two months ago and heard
nothing Of It. But the request was granted
| and the president is brick"
| The men heard nothing Of the petition
been plgeonholed. They were delighted
upon receiving their pay for June to lind
| that their request had been granted in full
The pay of the conductor, with perquis-
| ties, will now approximate 500 the month
| while the salary of the sable autocrats OF
| the sleepers, the porters, remains un
| changed. 1t is certain that II they pre-
! scented similar petition the officials of the
| company would merely smile and throw II
In the waste basket. The salary of the
porter is from $50 to S25 the month Their
rake OH" is perhaps three times that
| amount. Several railroad officials declared
yesterday that the Pullman company couli
accomplish little by prohibiting the accept
ance Of tips The people who travel in tbs
sleeping cars MS n rule, are partial to TIT
custom and would insist on giving the Gus
tomary tip thus getting better service, Thi'
will he the case ms long as the black mar
holds the Job.
AZ nm illustration Of tho norter's success
a Pullman conductor stated last night thai
HIS porter Ind collected over $50 between
Denver and Houston, and that when he fel
short on one trip he made It up on the
next.
; The best Jobs In the Pullman service arr
the through runs. from $500 to 1900 mile
round trip. The conductors on these run
get "a nxed salary Of 500 q month, and vii
now receive over 500.
As an Illustration of what can he accom-
plishcd by peaceablc methods, by good Serv
Ice and loyalty, the action of the Pullman
company in raising salaries on petition Il
, | considered n shining example.