The Washington times., 1907-12-06
SOUTHERN DENIES
CUTTING SALARIES
Temporary Employees Not
Needed and Dismissed,
Says Plant.
But Few Changes Made
in Regular
Force.

Comptroller A. II. Plant, of the South
ern railroad. objects to the statement
that reductions OF from 10 to 25 per cent
are 10 be made in the salaries OF many
employees OF many years service. He
says the salaries have been fixed per-
manently, and no more changes viii
be made.
Today Mr.. Plant declared that all
shifts and dismissaIs considered advisa-
bic by officials had been MADE and that
there would be no further changes, so
far as he knew
Mr.. Plant objects TO the statement
that the employees of the Southern gem
eral Office will hereafter be compelled
10 work overtime" but admits that
whereas the men and women have fin
ished work at 1 o'clock on Saturday
heretofore, they will hereafter be COM
PEELED to remain until 4 o'clock. 'It Is
the restoration Of the winter schedule
of working hours" said Mr.. Plant.
Freight Revisers Shifted.
Tt is admitted that a number of men
employed IN the revising force in the
office of the auditor Of freight accounts,
wherein technical knowledge Of way
bills and tariffs is requisite. have been
dismissed or transferred. Alr Plant said
this morning that while he had relieved
men from service with the Southern he
had offered them positions in other
places where living expenses were low
or than in Washington, and that they
would thereby be financially benefited
The larger portion OF the dismissed en-
plOyes were, according 10 Mr.. Plant
persons Of service not exceeding fifteen
months. white eighteen We're student re-
NizerS in the auditors Office
Gir. Plants full statement Of condi-
tious at the Southern office follows:
There is 20 be a decrease in the size
OF the force. but the clerks and ac-
COuntants whose services are to be dis
pensed with were only on the tempo
rary rolls, and they have been notified
that they would be needed no longer
than Saturday. The number TO be dis
missed Will reach about siXty-three. and
of these nearly every one has been
taken or during the past few months.
Needed to Prepare Statements.
since the beginning of the rate agi-
tation several months ago il has been
necessary for the Southern to compile
much data and collect numerous figures
relative 10 it's business. To do this il
was necessary to get a new set OF
clerks, as the old clerks had their reg
ular work 10 do As the data was re-
qulred at irregular intervals and the
demand for IL rather spasmOdic. a set
of clerks would be obtained. and when
that particular line of work was com
pieted these clerks would be dismissed.
When further demands for data would
occur a new set Of clerks would be
given the work. The clerks were taken
on only temporarily. Since the rate
agitation has. in measure, subsided,
the services Of these clerks are no
longer required. and consequently they
have been notified.
Because a simpler form of accounting
IS being inaugurated in our Offices, as
has been done iE the offices OF all large
corporations a few clerks who have
been with the company for some time
will be dismissed, but this number is
small In cutting down the forces.
length OF service. IS well as the social
conditions o. the employees, have been
taken into consideration. Where a
clerk whose department had been abOl-
ished was slated for dismissal. our pur-
pose was to learn whether or not he
was a married man. II the latter he
was given preference over the unmar-
ried ones.
Most Of the clerks who are TO leave
and women who have been in the tenn
porary departments for but a short
time. There is to be no reduction in
the wages OF the other employees. and
the only change in the working hours
IS that the clerks who have been per
nlitted TO quit work at I o'clock in
the afternoon on Saturdays will he re,
quired to work until 4 o'clock on that
day. When summer comes the Satur-
day half-holday will again be put into
effect