Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-03-23
EMPLOYEES MEET OFFICERS
Omaha Road Increased Net Earnings,
with loss in Gross by Economy.
LOYALTY" TO COMPANY PAYS
General Manager A. w. Trenholm
Addressed Meeting of Employees
I'm Lyric Theater Yesterday
which Lasted Five Hours.

partments of the Omaha road that rial
road company has turned an actual de-
crease in gross earnings during the last
five months into an increase In the net
earnings according to General Manager
A. w. Trenholm, who addressed a meet
ing of 400 conductors. engineers, firemen,
brakemen, agents, yardmen, machinists
and dispatchers held at the Lyric theater
Sunday afternoon from 1 to 6 o'clock
The meeting Of the employees of the
Omaha road was the first of its kind
ever held in Omaha and one Of a series
which have been held at various points
on the system during the last four months
and in which the railroad employees and
officials have met on common ground.
1t was called by the officers Of the con-
ductors and engineers brotherhoods and
all other organizations of railroad men
were invited in and was attended by both
officers and men of the Nebraska
division. together with employees from
other divisions who could reach Omaha
conveniently.
Mr.. Trenholm was among the first to
address the meeting which was called TO
order by j. ID. Condit, conductor of the
Wisconsin division.
Says No Politics.
This is not political meeting in any
sense ",said Mr. Trenholm. 1T is TO
carry out the plan of cooperation which
we outlined four months ago, to put our
heads together and see if we cannot run
a railroad better than anyone else.
ITO go back little into the history
of the meetings 1 would say that four
months ago 1 called the committees of
the various brotherhoods together and
showed them that our earnings for the
month
terially. / knew that If this continued
we might be confronted by the necessity
of reduction in wages 1 knew you men
did not want such a reduction and 1 did
not want to see it made. l felt that If
we got together and handled this Omaha
property right we could economize in
such way that we would never be COM
PEELED to pay anything but the best SAL
aries.
The result Of our getting together has
been that we have economical and real
lied what we started out to do.
In the month of January our gross
earnings showed a larger loss than in
October but our economy amounted to
$l6OOOO. which left small loss. By
looking over the figures 1 discovered that
$SSooO OF our economy was in fuel-we
saved that much on coal.
The report for February is not COM
plete' believe it will show loss in
gross earnings--about as large as Janu-
ary But owing to the economy which
we aave been able 70 prsetieo we ar
going TO show an increase I'm net earn
ings. and 1t is entirely due to the close
attention to business and the co-opera-
tion of our employees"
Omaha Pays High for CoaI.
Mr.. TrenhoID1 satd ooa1 -. -
road more per ton than it cost anv
other road In the west, and as the com
pany uses over 10000 tons annually the
extra cost alone makes an item OF exnense
which must be reckoned with.
Joseph Hail. an engineer Of the Wisconsin
division told the employees the object of
the meetings as he understood them He
said they started innocently and accident
ally. as the engineers used tG visit The
Officers and kick on schedules or attempt
to fix them up, then the conductors were
called in, 'and finally all the emploves
Loyalty to this railroad consists in doino,
your full duty" he said II have been r,,n-
ming an engine on it for twenty years and
so far as the officers of the comnanv arc
convened they have never asked me to do
more. We are here to better the condition
Of the employees and better the condition
Of the company. Most of you have never
earned dollar in your lives except from a
railroad corporation, and why should YOU
not be loyal to 1t. 1 see no use in commit
tees going to the officials with complaints.
We are all a committee, and IL we have
troubles the officers are here to listen IN
them"
With the invitation before them the
railroad men started in with their kicks
and among the hardest which were handed
to the railroad officials was that of Fire.
man Charles Bowerman of the Nebraska
division. Mr.. Bowerman told of the coal
being dumped to the engines in Jumps which
when broken up would make four and five
shovels full. The fireman said that there
was not even a place on an engine for the
sticks of grease and lanterns The lanterns
are placed on the floor and the sticks of
grease put on top OF the clothing in the
fireman's seat box
Engineer f. D. Smith, who added testI-
mony to that given by the fireman about
the Jumps of coal, also gave a technical
talk on the small amount OF steam per-
mitted on the engines running over the
hills Of the Nebraska division and the
waste I'm filling the flreboxes so full of
coal that the gas has no possibility OF
burning.
Travelling Engineer William Donahue dis
agreed about the Jumps Of coal, but said
he had caught the coal chute men dumping
the screens and allowing any size coal to
go to the engines.
Wants Definite Reports.
When Assistant Superintendent OF Motive |
Power Moore got in his complaint it was
that engineers did not make definite re- |
ports when engines were out Of order and |
frequently the roundhouse force was COM |
PEELED to tear an engine half to pieces |
before pound" could be located or Dire |
it up and run it around the yards for a |
time in order to locate the trouble when |
the engineer could have located It and re- |
ported where the trouble was
When the station agents We're given their 1
inning. Oliver Scott, local freight agent az |
Sioux City; e. +. Glenning, local freight |
agent at Minneapolis. and w. ]. smith |
local freight agent for the Omaha & North |
western railroad in Omaha, made addresses
Yardmaster L. e. Scott Of Omaha spoke |
for the yardmen and told OF the improve /
ment Of conditions in the yards since the |
employees OF the Omaha road had resolved
10 get together" and work for their own
aud tae company's interests.
"A