The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-15
Details OF the Raise of Wage
for Engineers.
Grant Aggregates Increase O.
S6,OOO,OOO Annually.
REQUIRELONG SESSION
First Conference of This Kind
in History of RailrOading.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

The increase in wages for engineers
decided upon by western railroads ag-
gregates between 100000 and &c.
100000 annually.
The increase will affect between 49,
600 and 10000 engineers on all the
railroads west of Chicago to the Paci-
fic coast, north to the Canadian border
and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
The decision of the railroad mana
gers was reached after a series of ne
gotiations which have marked an
epoch in the relations between rail-
ways and their employees. The nego-
tiations have been carried on between
a committee headed by Chief w. S.
Stone or the Brotherhood of Loeomo-
tive Engineers and another of general
managers representing all the rail-
roads.
Conferences Last Long.
The conferences between the men
and their employers have lasted daily
through period of several weeks and
have been marked by a spirit which
indicates that the day of big strikes
on railroads has passed and the day of
amicable negotiation, the day or
friendly compromise and the day of
arbitration, where arbitration is nee
essary, has dawned.
Both the railroads and the employees
are feeling happy over the result,
which was attained with dispatch
when consideration is given to the
magnitude of the questions involved
and the enormously increased pay roll
which the railroads would have to car
~ If the men received anything like
their demands.
Apparently the spirit of compromise
governed the negotiations. for the en-
gineers have practically agreed to give
up their contention for an eight-hour
day-that is an eight-hour day with
respect to being credited with a run or
100 miles-have abandoned their In
creased demands regarding pay for
overtime and will not insist on their
original demand with regard to the
sight competency of engineers.
First Deal of Its Kind.
This is the first time in railroad his
tory when the demands of a labor or
ganization have been made and hav
been considered as whole by all of
the railroads in a large territory. When
the joint demand was first made the
railroads refused to treat with their
engineers as a whole, preferring TO
deal with them individually on each
road Chief Stone, however was firm
IN his refusal to confer with the rail-
roads except as a whole and as repre-
senting every railroad west of Chica go
Despite the fact that the questions
involved were complex, the railroad
arrangements finally consented to APP
point committee and the settlement
would indicate that a new method or
dealing with railroad labor demands
has been adopted. The Increases eiver,
the men are said to be the largest In
the aggregate ever before accorded in
conference with any branch of rail-
road employees
Apply to All Classes.
The advances apply to all classes o<
engines ON passenger locomotives
the men will receive scent increase
on 100 mile run. On freight the in
crease for the engineers will range be-
tween and IL cents per 100 mile
run In all the larger freight yards
the switch engineers, who receive the
greatest benefit from the increases
will receive an addition of between so
and rs cents a day. with the assl1r-
Hnce that they shall not be kept out
more than twelve hours
Yard engineers now receive from
$2-75 to $500 a day, and their maxi