The Penn's Grove record., 1903-10-16
TO DISCHARGE 10000 MEN
Railroads Retrench, Owing to Fall
ing Off in Traffic.
Big Systems Begin to Reduce Forces to
the Lowest Possible Limit Because
Of the Industrial Situation.

new lQrk Clfy.-Several railroad
companies have announced reductions
in their working force, and it Is ex-
pected that between now and NoYem-
Der ! nearly every railroad in this
country will discharge some of its EN-
ployes. Such action, it is explained,
issnOt unusual this time of the year,
but q larger number of men will be
dismissed this fall because the rail-
road companies have been working alb
normally large forces since early last
spring. A natural falling off in traffic
is the reason generally assigned for
these railroad dismissals.
Basing their estimates on the reduc-
tons already announced experienced
railroad men say that between $4,000
and 10000 men will probably be laid
OF by the railroads throughout the
country this fall. There are about l..
250,O0O railroad employees in the Uni
ted States.
Vice-President Brown, Of the New
York Central, thinks that about 25eO
men may be dropped from the payrolIs
of that system this month. The great
er proportion of the dismissals will be
from the car shops. Notices of dis
charge have already been served on
800 men in Albany, Syracuse and Buff
falo.s
About 1900 shop men, train men and
track men will be discharged on the
Pennsylvania system. Vice-President
Pugh says that most Of the men to be
dismissed will be recent employees who
were hired during the rush period of
last spring. Few, if any, Of the old
employees of the Pennsylvania system
are to be discharged, and no important
work of Improvement is to be suspend
ed.
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
operating department will lay off
about 1900 men this month, and such
Improvements as can wait will be de-
ferred until next year. The managers
Of the Atchison system believe that all
kinds Of heavy work can be done
more cheaply next year than now.
Not less than 5000 employees will be
dispensed with on the Union Pacific
and the Southern Pacific systems be-
tween now and December /. These
dismissals, it is said, are to be made
because the work for which the men
were hired is completed. 1t is prob
able that all Of tho transcontinental
lines will cut down their working
forces some after the crop shipments
are over. The falling off in ore ship
ments has caused some of the Western
roads to take off about ten per cent.
of their freight trains.
The Illinois Central will curtail it's
operating force anywhere from 600 to
1900 men, and the Chicago and Alton
will also make a small reduction.
President ingalls,, Of the Cleveland.
Cincinnati, Chicago and st. Louis sys-
TEN. says that at present there is a
great volume of traffic over his lines,
but he expects that it will be neces-
sary to let some Of his employees go as
soon as the present rush slackens. The
Lake Shore will dismiss nearly 1000
men this month, and the Michigan
Central about half that number. About
300 Of the Lake Erie and Western en-
ployes will be laid off on November 1.
The Erie management has already
| dismissed several hundred men from
the repair shops and the operating
force, and there will be a still further
| reduction between now and December
i. The West Shore will lay OF abort
| 300 men, and the Boston and Albany
an equal number. A gradual reduc-
ton in the operating force of the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Rail-
road Is now under way, and before the
pruning knife is laid away about 1000
employees of this company will be out
of work.
The Missouri Pacific and other Gould
lines will reduce thier working forces
slightly, but there is to be no cessation
In works of extension and improve
ment. The Wabash expects to In
crease rather than diminish the num-
Der Of it's employees on Pennsylvania
improvements.
The Rock Island and the Frisco sys-
TENS will lay off between 1000 and
1900 men this month and next.