The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-12-13
THE STANDARD SCALE
Better Wages and Conditions On the
Iowa Central.

The wage scale conference between
the Iowa Central management and the
committees representing the engin,
GERS, fremen, conductors and brake
men, came to an end Friday evening
in the signing of the schedules which
become Immediately effective. The
new schedule grants a substantial in
crease in wages to all the men rep
resented in the committees and inn
proved conditions of labor.
Practically everything that was
asked for by the men is granted by
the company and the new schedules
in reality mean the establishment OF
what is known to the men as "the
standard scale" In other words, the
same rates of wages VIII prevail on
the Iowa Central that are paid for the
same class of labor on other roads.
The making of this scale has been
a long and trying task on account OF
the number Of men involved and the
many classes of labor to be consid
cred. Taking the engineers for ex-
ample, the amount of wage earned is
different for the several classes OF
work done, passenger, freight, through,
special, regular and extra runs, and
the class Of engine handled also have
a bearing upon the amount of money
paid. The conditions surrounding
certain kinds of labor also influence
the amount of money paid by the
company.
The conference closed with the best
of feeling prevailing between the otti.
cials and the men of the committees
and the work of the committee calls
forth expressions of greatest salts.
faction on all sides. The announce
ment that the conference had ended
and that the men had been given an
increase in wages spread among the
engine and train men rapidly, follow.
ing the conclusion of the conference
1t was known Friday noon that the
men and the officials had agreed and
that the work of the conference was
practically at an end, but all after.
noon was occupied in closing up the
several details of the scales.
General Superintendent Noonan and
Iowa Central Superintendent Hayden
have been directly connected with the
labor of the conference from the be-
ginning to the close. General Man
ager L. F. Day came to the city this
week to assist in the work, but was
taken violently i'll and had to return
to his home in Minneapolis.
A Notable Committee.
The personnel of the federated
board was as follows:
E. o. Cole of Oskaloosa was chair
man Of the federated board and r. G
Saylor of Oskaloosa was secretary
A. B. Cowan, chairman o. r. C.
e. S. Mabie, secretary o. K. c.
w. Jennings of Marshalltown
chairman B. L. H.
]. Swift of Monmouth, Sec. B. l.. E
R. c. Saylor, Oskaloosa, chairman
h. r. T. .......
Bert Brill, secretary B. R. T.
H. Landmesser, chairman B. l.. F
Ed Brown, secretary B. L. F.
d. B. Smith of Monmouth was q
delegate to the conference and at
tended the meetings.
Scale Affects oskaIoosa.
|. The new scale of wages, which il
the result of the conference, means
much to Oskaloosa and more than 4;
perhaps realized by the people gen
orally.
In plain figures, black and white
the increase to the men now resident
In Oskaloosa amounts to fifty thou
sand dollars per annum. 1t woulc
take a big factory to turn out thai
amount of wages within a year, ant
yet this is the additional sum tina
will be distributed in Oskaloosa dur
ing the year by reason of the in
crease that has been allowed. Tha
the railway men are bettered anC
Influenced by the increase is acknowl
edged, as natter of course, bu
the lasting good that will come o
the increase will directly or indirectl!
be felt by every person in the city
An Unusual Proceeding.
This was the first time in the his
tory of the west that a federated
committee had met with the repre-
sentatives Of a railway for the pur
pose of adjustment of interests anC
the third time such meeting ha
been anywhere brought about in thu
history of railway brotherhoods. TIT
happy outcome Of the conference viii
attract wide attention and will be re
corded in all organization publica
tons of the land.