The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
The Brotherhood and the Subway

| Inc bFOtnernOou ana inc subway
The Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers is an independent organization
having no utilization with the American
Federation Of Labor, of which Mr.. SAM
UEL GoMPERs is the President and
directing spirit. For years the Brother
hood has maintained a policy and an
attitude which have deserved and COM
manded the respect of the public. In it's
present controversy with the manage
ment of the subway there is some ground
for belief that it has strayed from its
earlier policy and stands in great danger
of falling into an error very similar to
that which Is proving 80 costly to other
branches Of organized labor.
When electricity superseded steam on
the elevated lines the management of
those lines, rather than discharge its
hundreds Of faithful engineers, many of
whom had handled its throttles for years,
gave them the preference at the lever
and entered into an agreement with the
Brotherhood, Of which they were mem
bers, that their pay should be So. so for a
day Of nine hours.
This proceeding would appear to be
one of exceeding fairness on the part of
the management, and it even savors of
kindly liberality. Training in the cab is
in no way essential in the experience of a
motorman. There is no reason to doubt
that for a smaller wage rate the company
could have hired all the men it needed,
and that after a brief experience and
education at their posts such men would
have been as efficient as the group re-
tanned
Presuming upon this action, which
benefited the old employees of the ele-
waited, the Brotherhood attempted to
dictate wage rates in the subway, and
there were very clear intimations that the
elevated and possibly some of the steam
railways would be tied up il the demands
were not recognized and the terms
granted. This position was untenable,
and insistence upon it would undoubtedly
have proved costly to the now popular
Brotherhood of Engineers through the
alienation OF public support and SYM
pathy.
Chief STONES argument that ANY
railroad building or leasing new lines
applies the wage scale in effect to the
acquired territory" is essentially faulty.
1t would apply properly if the men
affected were qualified for membership
in the order of which he is the head but
as the case stands it is only little more
applicable than it would be if mules
were to be the motive power in the SUBJ
way instead of electricity. The men on
the elevated hold their places on the
present terms not because they are
steam railway engineers but by reason
of special consideration on the part of
their employers. To attempt to force
that consideration into a field which it
was never intended to cover is a move
of doubtful wisdom. The Brotherhood
did not insist that the subway motormen
should be trained and qualified steam
engineers who could, if they pleased, |
join that organization. 1t thus assumed |
the illogical position of interfering with
those of another trade or industry to |
whom it would refuse membership in its
own order. A legitimate extension of
It's proposition appears in the possibility
Of an acquisition of the surface lines by
he marlborough company. In such a
,ase would the Brotherhood insist that
all motormen in New York should be
,reated on the same basis?
We're these industries in any way
lllied, the conditions would be different.
3ut the logic Of Mr.. STONES argument
would, in certain possible events, oblige
Brotherhood of specially skilled and
rained men to become the sponsors of
thousands of men throughout the entire
country who could not, in the nature Of
hngs, become members of that or
,anization.
Unionism may seek to ignore all law
4 supply and demand in the labor field.
his can be done only to limited extent.
hat law may be in some measure modi-
ed in the case Of trades involving highly {
pecialized labor. An absolute monop-
ly might even be possible in certain
mes. But the work of the motorman {
not Of that TYNE and IA couparativoiy ,