The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-19
SUNDAYS Work
and Rest
For Tile Tribune.

| For Tie Tribune
7 7 NDER this head the conditions of railway
traffic making ii necessary for Sunday
~ work, is given at considerable length by
| Prof. Lindsay in the Bulletin Of the Department
| of Labor. From the replies from leading rail.
| way companies ii appears TO be the intention 20
| limit Sunday service to the necessities and re-
quiremens of their business. and the interests of
| the labor force. We quote few Of the cases as
| illustration.
'Thc Boston and Maine road, employing over
% 900 men and operate about 1900 miles OF line,
| report that 10 per cent OF the employees in the
car department. % per cent in the transportation
| department, and 90 per cent in the motor power
| department are required TO work OH Sunday"
Another company employing 5000 men. report 90
| per cent. for train men, station agents 80 per
cent clerks, 10 per cent and telcgraphcrs % per
| cent The Chicago, indianapolis Il Louisville
Railway company report so per cent; the Chca.
| 90, Rock Island & Pacific probably less than 20
per cent; the Cleveland, Cincinnati Chicago Il
st. Louis about % per cent: the Illinois Central
| employing $1,000, report that all stations, ware.
houses and places for receipt or delivery OF
freight are closed on Sunday. In engin, trains
and yard service the requirements vary accord
ing to the volume OF business probably half of
the employees Several Western roads as well as
the New York Central give 90 per cent. The
demand for railway work is variable indicating
that so large a percentage il not required TO
worl; every Sunday, does it indicate that
| employees have any degree of regularity OF one
day rest in seven.
Railroad presidents and representatives of rail.
way employees, in their testimony before the In
dustrial Commission, admitted that there is a
tendency to increase Sunday traffic most rail-
| roads because OF increased mobility OF popula-
ton, excursions and shipments of pershablc
freight
Mr.. Frank p. Sergeant, grandmastcr Of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen in his tcsti-
mony before the Industrial Commission stated:
eve believe that there is manifest on the part
| oi the railway companies n disposition TO be as
fair and equitable in the establishment of houls
OF labor for train service employees as is prac-
tcable with the business to handle. There has
been disposition manifested OH the part of the
| companies TO abolish Sunday work Just as far as
they can do it, and there is a great deal less
Sunday work done today than there was five
or six years ago. The organizations have gone
on record as against Sunday labor At
the same time they realize that there is certain
demand of the public which the railroad com
| panics must respond to-"
The president of the Chicago & Great Western,
with several other railway presidents stated be.
fore the commission THAT il is the purpose OF
the railroads to reduce Sunday labor rs much As
possible" Many OF the representatives of the
railway companies assert that legislation on this
subject is not wise; that the matter may safely
be left to the regulation OF the companies as
their interests appear, which they state 10 be
opposed to unnecessary Sunday labor.
Mr.. W. B. Wilson, author Of the history of the
Pennsylvania Railway company, who has had Il
large force OF men under him in the handling OF
freight has measured in tons the amount Of
freight handled in successive days after the 9TH
day of continued service. lie took specified