The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-25

law. Eight hours would not make a
Eaa drink any more than twelve. IL
depended on tire man. On cross-sx-
animation by Judge Woruack agreed
that II man worked only one hour
would be safer and that II was true
that the devil rnds mischief for idle
7 hands 10 do" and that An idle brain
IS the devfFs Workshop but that men
who worked Is did railway telegraph
+ operators needed sixteen hours for *
ercise. recreation and sleep 10 clear up
his brain after eight hours work and
did not necessarily mean work for
the devil.
Tic Railroads Go 1t Again.
Mr. r q Falls, superintendent
Charlotte division OF the Southern.
said ne did not know OF his oHn
knowledge about all stations on his d.
vision and passed on his examination
10 another man.
This vas Mr. ". C. Lineberger.
chief trein DISPATCHED OF Charlotte d.
vision. "ro had made up a list Of the
operators and knew their work he
submitted the written statement and
was cross examined by Judge Strud-
wick. Had six men as train dispatcher
under him. worked when he pleased.
his men working eight hours each
Finally agreed that eight hours made
men more exact and accurate in woTk
as train dispatchers. and hence more
competent Thought only change on
his division needed was extra mar al
Gastonia to made IL eight hour place.
and that eight hour man IS fresher
mentally and physically than twelve
hour man. Conductors and train crews
worked twelve or more hours daily.
but not every week in the year. on
redirect examination said ordinary
block operators do not work over two
hours a day. and on re-cross that mr.
teen TO twenty minutes were taken by
trains in entering and leaving block,
that operator is on duty. at work. all
this time. but only occupied two hours
a day in actually receiving and send
Ing.
Is Not Increased Expense the roub!c
Next tame Mr.. H. E. Hutchens. gen
eral superintendent eastern district OF
Southern Railway. He knew nothing
of work of operators of his own
knowledge at stations and his answers
were objected to by Mr.. Justice, which
were put in on information and be-
lief"
f. Il. Shelton. chief train dispatcher
at Greensboro, said there were no ap-
plications on hand for jobs. that OPP
orators were scarce and hard to keep
offices full. on cross exami-
nation he said that only extra work
could be given, this ct trimes OF
only two days duration, for which a
man was paid at the rate of $3.50 a
month, and then if there was no extra
work had to be idle, this being the
only way to get to a regular job Dur
ing past month had Is to 20 apDlica-
tons and ave three OF four extra Jobs.
Did not know of former telegraph
operators in Greensboro who wanted
positions, Mr.. Justice mentioning TO
him G. G. Pugh, E. L. Sides, Claude
H~edgpeth and others, he said that
Z. l.. Sides had a bank position and
Claude Hedgepeth a position as book
keeper with the Cones at $4,000 a year,
he understood. and six hours work a
day. On redirect e~xamiknation being
asked as to S hours work at II hours
pay being an increase of salary Mr..
Justice asked on re-crOsS-exaninatiOn
if that was not really the whole trou-
bic with the railroads. that the eight
hour law would cost them more. There
was no
just q Scrap of Paper.
Here Mr.. Henry w. Miller offered
a piece of paper typewriter. with no
marks to show it as a telegram, signed
"A. p. ChambliSS'' which asked that
parties let the Corporation Commission
know that the people and the tele-
graph operators wanted the eight hour
law, this being to show, said Mr.. Mil
Ter, the cause for the many telegranms
sent to the COMMISSION 1dVOr1ng the
eight hour law. He said the paper
was found on the platform at Green's
boro. The ounsel for the telegraph
ers Said they were willing for Mr.. Mil
Ter to put it in, but the Corporation
Commission did not see how this could
be done as no one testified to it. IL
this connection it was learned that
more kilograms came yesterday to the
Commission, one being from thirty
seven leading business firms of Win
ston-Salem, urging that the eight
hour law be enforced.
Says Only TO Train Dispatches.
Here evidence in the Southern Rail-
way petition was closed and the ques
ton of the powers of the Commission
in the matter of the eight hour law
vas discussed. Mr.. j. H. Pou first
presenting the railway contention.
Mr.. Pou declared that the law is to
be strictly construed. and that the
matter was one which involved the
right Of contract and was penal in its
nature. The wording of the act made
it clear hat it referred only to train
dispatchers as these alone had the "di-
rection of the movement of trains,
and hence to these only the eight hour
law applied, and that when the Com
mission decided that the safety of the
travelling public would not be endan-
gered it couid extend the time to
twelve hours.
The Railroads Can't Coerce.
Judge Strudwick, for the telegraph
ers. declared the law not strictly a
penal contract, but remedial. and that
no court would put such a cOnstruc-
ton on it as stated by Mr.. Pou, as this
would defeat the purpose of the Leg
islature. If counsel really believed
what they said why did the railroads
ask to have certain stations exempted,
if they already had this? And why
want an order for what they already
had He commended that the opera
tors in block towers did have to do
with the direction of the movement of
trains, that they are put there to do
this. The view of the telegraphers is
that there is no power in the Commits
sion to exempt any class of this labor
at all, and that the Corporation Com
mission has no power to sus-
pend the act as regards any rail
road; that the Commission is
only authorized to permit. not the
railroads. but any such telegraph OPP
orator at such station. to work for
twelve hours, and that the penalty is
against those who cause an employee
to work against his will, that the en-
DlOyaa who desires TO work for twelve