Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-29
RAILWAYS IN FRANCE
STATISTICS REGARDING WORK
AND WAGES.
Small Pay as Compared With That
Given in This Country-Women at
at Grade Crossings.

Interesting statistics in regard to work
and wages on French railroads are con: aimed
in a report made to the State Department
by Consul General Gowdy at Paris.
The total length of railroads and of steam
and electric tram lines in France is about
"a, 100 miles, and is being increased by some
$50 miles year, or half mile per day. The
number of passengers carried, according to
the latest published returns, was 4O1, 793 773
in the year.
Goods carried amounted to 12O,3sO, 40
tons, of which more than three-tenths con-
sisted of combustibles. The receipts from
goods traffic were $145. 1874, $50. The total
receipts from passengers and goods were
1914 sos. 437. and the expenses amounted to
$40 TO- OBS, leaving profit OF $133, ,4O2
The ratio of expenses to profit is 51.3 to
4S.7. The total rolling stock of all French
railways Exclusive Of locomotives) was
305, 7S9 cars and wagons.
The express trains travel at the rate of
from seventeen and a half to sixty miles
an hour; the ordinary passenger trains from
ten to thirty-eight miles an hour, and the
freight trains from three and three-quarters
to seventeen miles per hour.
The total number of employees was 26S, 1928,
of whom 26,754 were women.
Wages and Salaries.
The salaries Of the officials and workmen
do not rule high and are regulated more by
the time man has been in the employ of
the company than by the kind of work he
is called on to perform, except, Of course in
the case Of skilled artisans. Moreover, SAL
aries vary greatly, not only on different
railroads, but often on the same line.
1t is difficult to give exact figures, but it
may be estimated that ordinary porter
receives $21.6 a month. head porter SIS. 81
a pointsman from $25.77 to $2SO6. and
plate layer $3.50. The engineer of loco
motive earns on an average $36 month,
and his rewards for saving COAL etc.
usually amount to s14. Stockers receive s25
a month, with $3.50 as extras A foreman
in the workshops earns as much as $3.50 a
month, an ordinary workman 1890, and an
apprentice $14.
OF the 1923 men working on the princi-
pal railroads, S,651 receive from $13 10 to
SIG 40 month; 22,573 from SIG 50 to sol %;
II, 592 from $21. AZ to s26O5: II OBS from SIG 25
to $21s 81 3,407 from s32.O4 to $3.50; 1850
from ire 1920 to SAB A.: 1;s99 from s43.62 to
$So7; 2,171 from s5327 to s7237, and 267
receive more than s7237-that is to say 90
per cent of the men receive from 1869 to
S260o per month, and "a per cent get from
$l3 10 to $31.S4 per month.
The men work, on an average TWENTY
elght and one-half days per month and
from seven to twelve hours day Nearly
10 per cent of the men are lodged.
Women as Gate Keepers
On the six principal railroads there are
1919 women. They are employed to keep
the gates at level crossings, and receive a
very small-almost nominal-salary; but
each woman has a cottage generally with
a little garden) rent free. According to
the official returns the women work twenty
eight or thirty days a month and from ten
to fifteen hours per day, but as matter
OF fact their duties only occupy them few
minutes at rare intervals (for where the
traffic is great men are employed) and they
have plenty of time to look after their
household affairs. Not infrequently the
female gatekeeper is married to porter or
platelayer, and her small earnings and
house help to exc out his wages. OF these
1919 women 5,275 receive not more than
$3.50 per month, 100 receive from go to
$3.50, 1,6S0 get from s4.s2 to s7.72 and COL
from 1871 to s10.61. Only sixty women get
higher wages than this, and there are only
five who receive from $2625 to s31.S4 per
month.