The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-24
Rio Grande Worker, Signing
Himself "a Conductor" Re-
plies to Managers Circular.
SAYS COMPARISON WITH
SANTA FE IS UNJUST
Men Want 10 1-2 Per Cent In
crease and Reduction
of Hours.

The following communication has
been forwarded to The Tribune for
publication by an employee of the Rio
Grande signing himself, GA Con-
ductor:
"Whst purports TO be a statement Of
facts regarding the wage question,
working conditions and differentials be-
tween the management of the Denver
e. Rio Grande and Its employees in the
train service, is given two column
space in your paper this morning. In
view of the fact that the trainmen are
and always have been stanch sup
portcrs Of The Tribune, and the state.
ment Of the manager, which is com
mented on so freely by you, should not
90 TO the public unanswered, we ask that
you give us space in your columns as
conspicuously as theirs.
"Ouoting from the circular sent out by
the management to gain sympathy from
the public, you say, the men submitted
a second demand for an increase OF "A
per cent and again on the Sth Of April
a third demand was presented involv-
ing an increase of Is per cent. ln re-
ply to this the railway proposed the
adoption of the scale accepted by the
Chicago railway managers on Aprll otn,
and to allow the men an increase over
and above this scale This is a misrep-
resentation Of the facts; the manage
ment of the Rio Grandc refused TO be
represented in Chicago. and are now
trying to force the trainmen OF the h1o
9Tande to n settlement for less than
the Chicago settlement, which was
granted to forty-two roads receiving the
same and some of them receiving less
tariff rates than the Rio Grande.
Comparison Is Unfair.
"rTn Mr.. Ridgway's circular he com
pares the Rio Grande with the A. T.
& s. F. and Colorado Southern, which
cannot be done Justly, and never has
been comparison in the history of ne
gotiations between the management and
the employees. The Colorado Midland
is n good comparison as 1t nuns over
the same mountainous territory as the
Rio Grande and the Midland employees
receive compensation far in excess of
the Sante Fe employees. The Rio Grande
always has been classed as a more
hazardous and difficult road to work on
as we have grades from ] 10 4 per
cent, WHICH requires more" thIPlul "pIh
TO handle the large trains with safety
than any other road in the West Some
of it's branches, the Park City for an
illustration, has 4 grade of , per cent
and the freight crew working on this
branch and earning revenue Of al
most one-third Of the operating ex-
penses Of the Rio Grande Western for
the company. are receiving overtime
after II hours and 80 minutes. II is
the same on the Bingham. Heber, Tin
tic. Thistle, Scofeld and Sunnvside
branches. and the engine men are receiv-
ing overtime after hours and 20 NUN
utes and working on the same runs The
brakemen on these runs have TO ride on
top and apply the hand brakes down
these grades whether it is 90 in the
shade or 10 below on the sunny side
of the house.
The company by their liberal settle
mont with the engine men, together
with an increase of so offered the pas
s?nger conductors, are trying TO gain
sympathy from them and the public and
force the freight men who are the main
spokes IN the wheel in the net earnings
Of the road and enduring more hard
ships than any other class of railway
employees, 10 a settlement less than tho
Chicago scale. The Chicago settlement
was blanket increase of lOl, per
cent and reduction from II TO 10
hours on branches and work trains and
that is all the Rio Grande cmplovaos
are asking for,