The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-05-14
DoUBLE-HEADERS.
The Attitude Of the Trainmen Re
viewed. 80"

viewed.
AS a rule. Of late. railway employees,
trainmen especially. have been pretty rea-
sonabIe in their demands upon the en-
ploying companies. The railways have
been enjoying a period of unusual pros
perity, and 1t was not inappropriate that
the employees should ask a reasonable in
crease In wages as their share of the
prosperity For the most part, railway
managers recognized the justice OF the
demand. and wage scales have been
raised quite generally without anything
serious In the way Of a strike. A strike
is now threatened on the Great Northern
railway, which was one of the first roads
to grant a liberal Increase in wages. The
strike is now threatened, not as a result
of wage disputes, but over matter of
economy in the running of trains. AS the
gravamen Of the dispute has been pre-
scented In the Minneapolis newspapers, the
Great Northern trainmen are wholly
wrong in their contention and should be
able to count on little popular sympathy
IL they make the refusal of their demands
the pretext for a strike.
The dispute is over the use OF double
headers" A "double-header," in railway
parlance Is a train to which two loco
motives are attached. The Great North
ern company desires TO use two locomo-
tives 10 pull over the heavy grades trains
which on more level track need only a
single locomotive. The trainmen contend
that when two locomotives are used two
complete train crews must be employed,
or that the single crew shall receive
double pay for the service. The COM
pany, reasonably enough, It would seem,
argues that It has use for but a single
train crew and has no desire TO employ
more men thar are really needed 1t
argues, moreover, that as the use of the
extra engine requires no extra work on
the part of the crew employed. the COM
pany Is not disposed to pay double wages
to that crew.
II is not difficult to see what the train
men have in mind. If they can prevent
the company from using "double-headers"
the company must run two trains instead
OF one to get the same number of cars
over heavy grade. Thus two train crews
instead Of one will be given employment
The trainpen insist that IL the double
header" be used the crew employed shall
be paid double wages. so the railway may
not to be able 10 find any economy in the
use of the "doube-header."
This Is clearly a case In which the labor
organization is contending against the
logical economy of things. II is the same
old protest against labor-saving methods
which has so often brought organized
labor into disrepute. The trainmeu are
insisting that the railways shall handle
their transportation of freight in a more
expensive way than modern ingenuity has
been able 10 devise. In so doing, the
trainmen are arguing against the interest
of the railway and that of the public as
we'll Ii Is the right Of the railway TO
transact its business on the most eco
nomical methods. IL is to the interest OF
the public that the railways shall be al
lowed TO do this. IL is the obligation OF
the company 10 pay all its employees a
fair wage for the service performed II
is not the right of the employee to ask thar
he shall be paid for more work than he
actually performs, or that the railway
shall employ more men than are actually
needed in the running of trains. The
Great Northern trainmen are funda-
mentally wrong In demanding what they
do. Even if their demands should be
granted, nobody--not even themselves IN
the long run--would be benefited. What
Is best for the many muat be best for the
Individual Looking back over the long
record of futile protest against labor
saving methods, we find that what at first
looked like calamity to some eventually
proved to be blessing In disguise. Fa-
ciIitating production has made work
easier, wages higher and in the long run
has helped 20 make opportunities for la
Dor. The Great Northern trainmen should
ponder a long while before they strike
against q principle the sonndness OF
which has been proved by the record Of
centuries Sioux City Journal.