New-York tribune., 1906-07-15

defective sight. Even II the eyes can be made
normal With spectaces tne fireman cannot be-
come en- engineer, although be may have grown
up on the road and been q steady and competent
man. After he runs an engine for a while he
may be permitted TO wear glasses, but ne is
barred from certain trains and from All employ
ment an engineer on other lines.
Then the age limit is discouraging to young
men. I am fOrty-siX years old, but no more
than six roads in the United States would give
me an engine Il ] should want one; all OF the
others now refuse to hire new men who have
IS forty on many roads, and the Pennsylvania
company has lowered il 20 thrty-five. Tho
Brotherhood is opposing the theory that an en-
gineer OF forty or fifty is on the down grade.
general manager said TO me recently: Well.
stone you must t auul.t that you can set INT INTO .
a cab as easily as you could twenty years ago..
Such talk is rubbish, and so I said: I am not an
acrobat but an engineer
But lei us get back to the fireman who has
served his time. He goes gayly about his busi-
ness and at the end of two years is ordered TO
headquarters for another examination, bien-
nal performance which continues so long as he
lives He is compelled to know his engine and
how to get it to the next station If 1t breaks
down and must understand the electric dynamo
which IS often in front OF his cab. lie must
be familiar with the mechanism of airbrakes
and pumps. Consequently an engineer net only
his engine but heats his train and fre-
quently lights It."
Can engineer who is not member OF the
Brotherhood get employment"
Yes; tenth of the engineers IL TINS country
are not in our organization We give them no
trouble and make no effort to deprive them OF
their places. All that do is to insist that
they be paid Brotherhood wages, work Brother
hood hours and have all Of our own conditions
and privileges. These matters we arrange with
the railroads and not with the men themselves
Some Of those who are out would be welcome
and some would not be accepted by us under
any circumstances"
What is the average pay Of an engineer"
I'm Canada. where wages are the lowest, an
engineer gets 50 so hundred miles In TINS
country he receives So 25 for hundred miles
I would say that the pay of American en-
gineer is from S12O to S160 a month. Firemen
paid from 50 to So 10 for hundred miles
and usually a hundred miles is a days work
''Is there chance for an engineer to get some
of the better positions on railroad?'
He often becomes superintenaent @ OF aIlotI1e i've
power but he is shut away from the observation
Of the higher officials. and the rule is that II
man is an engineer he will remain one.
THE policy OF the Brotherhood has been TO
mind its own business and TO keep out Of en-
tangling alliances.
That is an accurate statement of our posi-
tion. We are condemned for our lack OF SYM
patfy and on, but we reply. Look at our re-
suits We should be in trouble all the time IT,
for instance we should refuse to haul unfair
ries mines etc. where there are strikes We
are constantly lettering our wages and condi-
tions and. therefore point to our achievements
a justification for policy"
Can you order striker?
"No. but 1 can stop one if 1t is threatened.
The weakness of nearly all organizations of Ia
bor lies in the Initiative power given to general
officers Each subdivision in the Brotherhood
has committee of three to settle difficulties
which arise within that jurisdiction. When that
body fails the matter is taken to the general
committee of adjustment, composed Of the chair
of all the subdivisions on that particular
railroad system. If there is agreement a
grand officer is summoned and put in charge Of
the situation. The deadlock continuing, the
grand chief states the case in plain English,
prints it into a circular and sends a copy to
every engineer. The engineer votes, over his
own name and returns the ballot to head
quarters No less than two-thirds of the mem
bership can carry strike, and even then the
grand chief is empowered to veto it
You do not tolerate dcunkenness?"
Neither do we countenance insubordination
nor incompetency. ! also insist that engineers
must pay their legitimate debts. l suppose we
have who drink while on duty but when
we find them out We drop them from the Brother
hood and inform their employers. It is up TO
the railroads then. If a Brotherhood man re-
fuses TO obey the orders of his superintendent
or chief he Is expelled forthwith. We say to
all engineers: Do you told. II it is
you think you shouldn't do make
to us. We shall investigate the mat
ter and if you are in the right shall stand
by you. However, If you are guilty Of insub-
you are outside Of your rights and
must leave the Brotherhood
Moreover we live up TO all OF our contracts.
In the fall Of 1904 the engineers on the elevated
roads and in the subway of New York had
trouble. 1 got a settlement which gave the
men So % for nine hours on the elevated lines
and ten hours with fifteen minutes ay-over
in the subway. In five months the engineers.
some four hundred in ali. quit without saying
word TO the Brotherhood. They violated their
contract and 1 suspended all of them. Now they
are working ten hours for So This incident IL
lustrates our business principles and methods
of discipline as we'll as the advantages OF our
n