The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1906-11-09
INCREASE RAILROAD WAGES.
Report From New York Says Increase
Will be Paid Soon,

The railroads in the west, as well,
probably, as those in the east, accord
ing to the president of one of the larg-
est western railroads, will undoubted-
ly have to comply with the demands
of their employees for higher wages,
says a New York report. The official
who made this statement is at the head
of one of the large systems upon which
demands have already been made, and
he is convinced that the movement
among the men has gained such head
way that the railroads can find no way
out of the situation except by granting
some increase in wages.
1t is not his belief that there is any
danger of strike on the part of the
engineers, firemen, switchmen, and
others who have asked for higher pay.
He believes, however, that the rail
roads cannot refuse an advance in
wages without engenderng a feeling
of dissatisfaction among their men
which in the long run would prove
very embarrassing to the railroads.
Other classes of employees, according
shortly to the list of those who already
have presented demands for larger
wages or shorter hours of work. On
some roads the telegraphers have al
ready presented demands, and on 9th
ers the machinists have joined the
ranks of those expressing dissatisfac-
ton with their present pay Demands
IL, l., 4, e.,
ture, he said, in behalf of the train
men.
The general attitude of railroad Of
ficials, according to this railroad pres
ident, toward an increase can hardly
reasonably be refused, although the
wages may well prove embarrassing as
soon as business falls off materially
from its present great activity. It is
this phase of the matter that is said
to be embarrassing to the railroads.
The present earnings are on such an
enormous scale that practically every
road in the country could increase its
pay rolls by granting higher wages
without being much embarrassed by
this concession to their men. 1t is
considered, however, that the railroads
are now at the top notch of their pros
Gritty, and that should a period of de-
preston make its appearance it would
become necessary to restore wages to
their present level, or perhaps even to
a lower one. A prominent railroad Of
ficer said that if any advance was
granted at this time the railroads
would have to consider reducing wages
as soon as business falls off material
ly, even though an effort to cut down
the wages of their employees be met
with threatened strikes.
Nevertheless, the majority of rail
road officials are said to be altogether
in favor of compromising with their
men at this time by granting some in.
crease in wages. II is said that in
most cases the railroad employees have
asked much larger increases than they
have any idea of obtaining, and that
they would really be satisfied with
much less than they are asking for.
Considerable Importance is attached
by some railroad men to the sugges-
ton that the railroads in granting an
increase in wages at this time will
greatly strengthen their case should
it become necessary later on, owing to
temporary depression in business, to
ask their employees to accept lower
wages. Such a course, it is said, would
enable the railroads to argue justly
that by advancing the pay of their men
at this time they had permitted them
to share in the present great prosper
ity, and that it was only fair in turn
that the men should accept a decrease