The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-16
RAILROAD NEWS.
Prominent Santa Fe Officials Do
Not Fear Boycott.
Say That photographers Union
Can't Hurt Company.
PAYING HIGH WAGES.
Santa Fe Grants Increase to so
Per Cent of Operators.
W. j. Black Says Agents Are
Friendly to Santa Fe.
PAYING HIGH WAGES.

Several Santa Re officials were asked
20 state their views regarding the DIS
patch which was received from CHI
cago stating that the order Of Railroad
Telegraphers has declared a boycott
against the Atchison. Topeka x Santa
Re road. and that a circular letter.
signed by the president and the grand
secretary of the order, had been re-
ceived by the ticket agents of all rOa Is
centering in Chicago asking them 10
discriminate against the Santa Fe when
routing passengers and freight.
SIR. &. II. Gaunt. superintendent Of
telegraph for the Santa Fe, said.
1T is news to me. this being tie first
time that I have heard anything about
the matter I do not think however.
that it is matter that the Santa Fe
should Worry about. and tor this rea~
SON. Out Of the 1900 operators whtca
the santa + e now has in its employ the
majority OF them are nOn-union men.
Not that the members Of that organi-
cation are deficient in any way. but 1
presume for the simple reason that they
DO not md 1T to their interest to work
for the Santa Fee. 1t is not true how
ever, THAI we are discriminating against
members of the order in hiring oper-
atais
Among the few o. r.. T. men that are
in our empty at the present time
there are men who are filling important
positions and in whom we trust. They
are just as proficient as some of the
nonuniOu men In our employ and are
treated with the same consideration as
the other men. What form their action
towards the Santa Fe viii take now
that their order has declared a boycott
against the road 1 do not know.
The Santa Fe now has a class of op-
orators Ina it's employ which is equal 70
sc not better than that of any other road
In The United States and this is one of
the things that leads me to think that
the boycott viii not have any effect on
The Santa Fe. especially the telegraph
department. The majority of the men
are Wei satisfied with the wages tina {
are now being paid to them and are
endeavoring to give the road the best of
service and with such conditions pre-
Nailing 1 fail to see how a boycott by
the Order of Railroad Telegraphers
could have any effect whatever on the
road. Within the last month 80 per cent
Uf the operators working for the Santa
Fe were notified of an increase in their
salaries The raise was entirely voluu-
tary on the part of the road. During
1he past the Santa H'e has had the repu-
ratlon of paying better salaries to its
operators than any other road and in
fact has paid better salaries to her men
than even the commercial companies.
The increase on the Santa F'e Dr0per
which was made May / viii aggregate
$4,000 annually All Of the men are
we'll satisfied and many letters OF thanks
have been received here from operator
all over the road All of these men are
hard workers and are loyal to their en-
ployers and I am sure that no action of
the O. r. It. could change their feeling
towards the company"
". J. Black. general passenger agent
of the Santa Fe said.
II do not think that the circular let
ter which is referred to viii have any
effect upon the routing of either pas
sengers or freight via the Santa Fe The
majority of ticket and freight agents
are fair minded men and will look al
abe situation from an unbiased stand
point. Moreover ticket agents have nc
authority to take action against a rail
road without first receiving instructions
from headquarters. and as the relations
which noAV exist between the Santa Fe
and am eastern roads are of the best
90 not think that their ticket agents
viii receive such instructions. OF course
they may discriminate against the San
IA Zee in some underhand manner but il
they do and are discovered it win mol
be long before they are minus their DO
sitons. Such being the case [ do not
think that there Will be many of them
who viii run the risk of losing their
POSITIONS
A. T. Sweet. assistant to the general
manager of the Santa Fe said.
II do not think that a boycott of the
Santa Fee by the o. r. T would have
any effect on the road The order 0i
Railroad Telegraphers is thing of tbs
past as far as the Santa Fe is concern
ed"