The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1903-05-13
DouBLE.HEADERs.
The Attitude Of the Trainmen Re-
viewed.

AS O. rule, of late. railway employees,
trainmen especially have been pretty rea-
sonable in their demands upon the en-
ploying companies. The railways have
been enjoying a period of unusual pros
perity, and it was not inappropriate that
the employees should ask 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 strike. A strike
is now threatened on the Great Northern
railway, which was one Of the first roads
to grant 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
if 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 to pull over the heavy grades trains
which on more level track need only a
single locomotive The trainman 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, 1t would seem.
argues that It has use for but a single
train crew and has no desire to employ
more men than are really needed It
argues. moreover, that as the use Of the
extra engine requires no extra work on
tire part Of the crew employed. the COM
pany is not disposed to pay double wages
to that crew.
1T is not difficult to see what the train.
men have in mind. II 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 trainnaen insist that If the double
header" be used the crew employed shall
be paid double wages. so the railway may
not to be able to find any economy in the
uEe Of the "double-header.'
organization is contendng against the
logical economy OF things. 1t is the same
old protest against labor-saving methods
which has SO often brought organized
labor into dierepute. The trainmen are
insisting that the railways shall handle
their transportation of freight in a more
expensive way than modern ingenuity has
been able to devise. In so doing, the
trainmen are arguing against the interest
of the railway and that Of the public as
we'll. 1t Is the right of the railway to
transact its business on the most eco.
nomical methods 1t Is to the interest OF
the public that the railways shall be al
lowed to do this. It is the obligation Of
the company to pay all its employees a
fair wage for the service performed, II
is not the right of the employee to ask tina,
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 IL their demands should be
granted, nobody-not even themselves IN
the long run-would be benefited. What
Is best for the many must 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 a calamity to some eventually
proved to be a blessing in disguise. Fa-
cilitating production has made WORK
easier. wages higher anc in the long run
has helped to make opportunities for la
Dor. The Great Northern trainmen should
ponder long while before they strike
against a principle the soundness Of
which has been proved by the record OF
csASuries. Sioux City Journal.