The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-12-08
STREET RAILWAY WAGE
QUESTION IS An ISSUE
w. D. Mahon. Of Street Railway
Employees Union Tells Of
Low Wages.
Says Street Car Men Got Little
More Than That Paid to
Common Labor.
(By W. D. Mahon.)

That motormen and conductors are
underpaid one can know by comparing
the responsibility of their employment
with the measure Of their remunera
ton. The responsibility OF the posi-
ton of either motorman or conductor
is weighty. 1t Is only when some
serious accident occurs that this fact
Is brought to the mind Of the public,
and then but momentarily. The kill
ing or manning OF child, woman or
man is an agon1zing reality for any
man to carry through life, no matter
how innocently may have occurred the
accident. Exoneration may come from
friends. court and coroner, and cir
cumstances may shape excuses to es-
tablish innocence. but that does not
restore a life crushed out or repair
deformity sustained. There are al
ways two victlms-the killed or
manned and the motorman or con-
ductor. That slight inadvertency; I'M
swefving obedience to the tron-clad
dictum of a superior officer, all these
and a myriad of other fancles or reali
ties crowd themselves through the
ever-tortured mind. POSSIBLY 1t might
not have occurred!' How, possibly,
could it have been avoided?" Return
ing aparitions of that CHASTITY face,
the writhing agony of the victim, the
appalling circumstances of the acct
dent, the savage denunciations Of an
| ignorant mob of gathering bystanders,
and more. haunt the dreams and tor
ture the future life of the motorman
or conductor. Responsibility? Re-
sponsibility without possibility of
measure.
With the. public, and even with the
treatening mob, the accident is soon
| forgotten, and even the question of
personal safety is again ignored. With
| the company the incident Is closed with
| the payment Of damages or the dis
! charge of the employe. The average
profit-g gathering stakeholder would
| never particularize the accident, per-
| haps never hear of it. The stock and
| bond manipulation figures only upon
the running conditions, and the man
agement looks to no remedial meas
ures that will interfere with the most
exacting economy.
| But what has this to DO with the
wages. 1t demonstrates that the posi-
| ton Is among those of the most grave
responsibility, and the service should
be paid accordingly. The responsible
ity Is nerve-straining, and the average
service life Is short. The very best
years of the motorman and conductor
are contributed. Few continue above
the age of SO years. The average SER
vice life does not exceed IL years. The
average management prefers that the
operative would resign at his earliest
| convenience after reaching the age
Of AS TO advise man advanced
above Sc that he has passed his use
fulness is not, difficult task. This
short service life should figure In fix
ing wages.
The cause of the short service life
Is due to nerve exhaustion. The mo-
ment a motorman steps upon car MS
responsibility is consciously assumed
Every fiber of his person responds and
an abnormal tension is experienced
until he is relieved Then reaction
gradually does its work. However,
it becomes his occupation and the close
attention required weakens possibll1'
ties in other directions. When he Is
worn out his impairment for other
occupations is realized. Not so witt
many other occupations. The carpen'
ter: the bricklayer, the machinlst anc
others can apply themselves to thel1
respective occupations in proportion tt
their ability during their natural life
Yet these crafts receive much better
wage than the car man.
Now to the question. Is 1t by acc1
dent that the essence of life is yielded
bv the electric car operative without
proper reward? Must the answer b<
"Yes?'
Electric railroading, as it is today
has developed from a crude affair." Il
is the offspring of the old-time horse
car system. It, in turn, was an Off
spring of the former bus line. W.
may go back no farther than the
horse car. At that time none accepted
position as horse car driver as
life occupation. The average horse
car driver accepted his position
through the same promptings tina
/! would urge him to accept temporar!
employment as laborer or harves
man. He was either aimlessly or pur
posely seeking q temporary job to bea
him over a period that would reacl
an objective purpose. Very few con
! tinued any length. Q! time III the DC
cupation, and no disappointments wer
experienced at the termination of ser
vice. They came and went. The,
were employed at their own conven
fence, and they were paid going lab
orers wages. They got no more, an
= they expected no more. Where the,
were employed in considerable mum
bers there were occasions when the
! would put UP a united effort local.,
and gain some wage concession, blu
they were easily satisfied with Sigh
{ ! compromises. Exceptionally cleve
= men were sometimes advanced indiv
idually to prolong their service, blu
. such men could usually command eve
more than the company would pay
! as team drivers or at some trade, an
as the opportunity came they went
anyhow. Such was the governing ele
ments Of wages when the electric ca
appeared upon the streets and cleo
! tricity was substituted for the horse
In some cities the evolution was fror
. horse to cable cars.
= Men were needed to man the electri