The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-16

RAILROADS
LAY men OFF.
Concerted Movement Of Big Systems
to Reduce Maintenance Of
Way Corps.
High Wages and Labor Troubles the
Excuse Enmity to Union Prin-
ciple Disclaimed.
Big Industrials and New York Con-
tractors Follow Suit-Effect
q on Wall Street.

on Wall Street.
| Special to The Journal.
= New York, Oct. 16.-The. Wander
hilt, Hartman, Hill and Rock Island
| arrangements are united in the plan
Of laying off employees on the lines,
and this movement will be continued
until the maintenance Of way corps
! are cut down to a minimum. All the
roads will begin their winter oper-
atoms with the smallest maintenance
of way staffs that have been en-
| ployed by these roads since the win
ter Of 1897.
| This startling statement is made
recent movement whereby Mr.. Harri-
man has thrown out Of work over
| 1900 men and the Vanderb1lts a sim
| liar number. 1t means that during
the coming winter over Is, 900 men
! now at work on various railroads in
the United States on an average sal
airy Of $1.65 per day will be thrown
out of work. The men who are re-
sponsible for this determination deny
fatty that 1t Is any concerted move
ment against the labor unions. They
say that it is a purely protective
movement. They claim that they have
been obliged to do their work dur
| ing the past two years with a most
interior class of men, and on the
highest wage scale that has ever been
In existence In any country.
Minnesota Statistics Cited.
Railroad men point to the recently
filed statements of earnings and ex-
penses in Minnesota to prove their
contention. The average daily wage
Of the employees Of Burlington, Cedar
Rapids & Northern was SLIT, the
average daily wage of Northern Pa
cific employees was $2.15. Similar
wages are paid all over the country.
Southern Pacific, Rock. Island, I'LL
nOls Central, Alton and Southern Rail-
3 way have been paying mere "coolie''
labor wages from $1.25 to $3.50 per
4 day. This is the underlying reason
for the general reduction in the work.
ing forces Of the railroads.
Say 1t Began with j. j. Hill.
Strange to relate, railroad officials
who are willing to talk about the
J matter say that the movement to lay
: None Of them can point to specific
instances in which he has laid Off a
great number of men, but they are
unanimous in their statement that
his working force at the present time
Is from rs to 80 per cent lower. than
it was fifteen months ago. Mr.. Hill
himself declines to confirm this state
, ment or accusation other than by say
; ing that there is a great deal less
work IN progress and Under contem-
-plation on, Great Northern at the
s present time. than there has been fol
= some months. past. ,...
t Both Vanderbilt and Hartman off.
9 cials are extremely reticent in discuss.
: ing the parts that labor organizations
+ Shave played sin bringing about this
r wholesale reduction Of the working
! forces. They all state fatty tina
iny,ic io of
\ but no official has yet been found
e who will openly discuss in the pub
r. lie prints the question Of the relation
I between the labor unions and the eco
I nomic policy of the railroad. The,
: say, speaking under instruction, tina
unions. They say there is no con
certed war of railroad capital on or
gained labor. They speak with re
i greet Of the grim necessity that com
u pels the roads to lay off this grea
a army of men Just at the beginning. o
u is a most serious matter, and at tn
Q end of the season when the harves
fields. offer employment to all grade
and conditions Of labor. r%c~
.Industrials Follow Suit. s, g.
The situation is serious indeed, iron
~ the standpoint of labor. The move
= ment to 5curtail, the working staffs i
=. not by any means confined to the rail
- roads. = United States Steel has take
y the lead amongst the industrials. Tn
- less all signs fail the orders on tn
books Of that corporation, which a
the present time show a reduction O
70 per cent from the orders of thi
e time last year will shortly show a sti
/ further reduction with decreasin
W orders there must be decrease : i
q supply OF swork for the laborin
'. classes. Before the first of Decembe
= 1t IS expected that the working sta1
l. Of United Safes Steel will be cut dow
IS at least IL per cent, If not MORE Th
y movement to create a market abroa
= for United States Steel products ma
or may not result in a great deman
IN foreign countries, but in any ca :
this demand will not begin to make Il
self felt in the steel mills at Pittsbur
before the end Of the winter. It ma
% be taken for granted that Euronea
orders will not be by any means
sufficient volume before that time t
B.. counteract the tremendous effect {
the widespread curtailment of buildin
operations, railroad building, an
other employments that require
:, heavy supply, of steel products. "
II Situation in New York CITY.
We In New York city alone over ga, o0
Ill men VINO last year subsisted thru til
We winter on wages derived from buili
n ing operations in this city will I
n without this source. Many hundred
n Of thousands Of dollars which won
'st have been used under ordinary ci1
lis cumstancess in paying the wages Z,
OF laborers on office and other buildint
ge here will this year be diverted
I other channels N
Sam Parks Is Blamed.
m The contractors of New York eli
are not by any means so reticent ;
mo the officials of the railroads. The
up DO not hesitate to name Samuel Parl
as the cause Of this condition, O,
. prominent contracting firm claims
R have refused contracts for ov
100000 worth of work within ty
! months, on the plea that the unde
, taking Of contracts to erect buildin
in this city is too precarious, and Il
margin Of profit too small to warra
the investment. In fact the CO
tractor, who formerly regarded h
outlay for the building Of structur
under contract as gilt-edged i
vestment, now regards such an GU
lay as pure speculation, depende
for its successful outcome upon Il
whim of the labor classes, guided n
by their own Judgment or instinc
but by the Judgment and dictation$
unprincipaled demagogs Under the
Il conditions it is not to be wondered
> that the contractors Of New York a
II refusing to take contract and mr.