The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-06
To be Given All Of the
Skilled WOrkmen.
ON NPANAMACANAL
Secretary Taft Issues an Order Fix
ing Rates Of Pay for a Num-
Der Of American Artisans.

g.
order by Secretary Taft affecting
rates OF pay, hours of labor, etc. ON
the lsthmus of Panama, following his
recent personal investigation of the
various complaints received here
from time 10 time was made public at
the White House Sunday after Presi.
dent Roosevelt had approved the sec.
retarys recommendations The de.
ciEion applies to three classes of canal
employees, first, steam shovel men,
embracing engineers, cranemen and
firemen; second, construction locomO.
tive engineers, and, third, construc'
tion train conductors. One of the
grievances of the men was the put.
ting into operation on April ! OF new
regulations restricting leave of alb
sence on account of sickness. On this
question the secretary says:
The old regulations We're adyer-
Used In the printed announcements
gent out by the commissions agents
TO induce persons to go to the 18TH
mus and enter the employ OF the corr
mission. 30 that every man who has
come to the isthmus has come there
with the understanding that the old
regulations were To apply TO his con.
tract.
II seems to me that good faith re.
quires that the old regulations as 20
leave shall not be materially changed
and shall remain as part OF the con-
tract OF service OF those now on the
isthmus and that while there are
some provisions In the new regula.
az a a.
stringent enforcement of the govern.
ment's rights and more certainly
avoid possible fraud, they should not
be made applicable to men who
came to the isthmus under the old
regulations"
Taking up the subject of summary
dismissal without hearing or giving
reasons, which was complained OF by
the canal employees. Secretary Taft
says he has given his approval to the
plan Of Col. Goethals whereby it Is
proposed to dispose OF such cases
through committee consisting OF
one representative OF the craft of tho
employe proposed for dismissal, one
representing the foreman or higher
Official proposing discharge, and one
representing the commission, final ac.
tion to be taken by the commission.
Much attention is then given to the
question of wages to the steam shovel
men who on March, applied for in-
creases as follows:
Engineers, from $210 to $500 per
per month; cranemen, from slS5 to
$3.50 per month; firemen, from $S3.33
10 $1l0 per month.
Secretary Taft takes Issue with the
steam shovel men in their contentious
that they were told that they might
count on gradual Increase in their
wages and that the one increase they
had was equivalent to bonus and,
therefore, was no increase at all. He
says that the increase granted was
greater than any possible bonus and
that moreover, there was nothing in
the contract or printed announcement
which assured these employees n
gradual increase OF pay. He adds,
however, that the government may
we'll afford to pay premium for
length OF service, such as obtains in
the army.
His recommendation on this sub
ject has been approved and the com.
mission will be directed by the presi-
dent to put the plan into effect at
once. II provides yearly Increase
OF 8 per cent. of the class or basic
rate paid to all skilled workmen, en-
gineers, conductors and mechanics
/, who are from the United States 1t
will be necessary, however, to have
served one year In certain class,
This will add per cent. to the sala.
ries OF some OF the steam shovel men
and other employees now and will
inure to the benefit OF the other EN-
ployes when their length OF service
in the class reaches the required
period.
The petition OF the construction
locomotive engineers next Is taken
up, and after alluding to the fact that
these men started at $3.50, the secre
tary says that inasmuch as 1t seems
10 be conceded that they as well aG
steam shovel engineers In the United
States receive about the same rate OF
pay. the salaries should be fixed al
y2lO a month, the amount asked.
Mr.. Taft says the additional hour
during which the locomotive engi
neers are necessarily and regularly
engaged in running their trains 20 tho
steam shovel In the morning and In
taking them back to the yard at nigh
is not overtime. Therefore the eight
hour law lends them no support fol
Contention here.
The proposition Of Mr.. Stevens and
Col. Goethals to increase the pay ol
construction conductors from $l7O tC
$3.50 per month Secretary Taft thinks
reasonable. They have asked for the
same wages as the engineers. to-wlt
3210. He holds that there Is no ground
Tor maintaining an equality between
the wages OF the two.
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A nIn Maakinn 0E Rrofasf