Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-21
Railroad Men Are Far From
Satisfied With Way Propo-
sition Works Out
GOOD If HANDLED PROPERLY
While Arrangements of Roads Do Not
Like tho Law, Railroad Mon Accuse
Attempt at Making Its Workings 40
DisasreeabIe as Possible - Central
Doing Big Business.

The new sixteen hour law now gov.
erning the employment OF railroad me-"
is far from satisfactory in its present
workings, according to the men them
selves. Railroad managers have never
pretended to be in real sympathy WIN
tie legislation compelling railroad men
To take ten hours rest after sixteen
hours work, and now the men, IN
whose interests the legislation was
brought about are of the opinion that
ii is a failure the way it is being
worked out They admit, however, that
the law is all right under certain con-
eitions.
The most dissatisfaction arises
among the men from the fact that they
are unnecessarily delayed over the
road, and are compelled to "tie up In
some ''Jerkwater" town, possibly within
a few miles from terminal and home,
where the crew can almost smell the
heefsteak' and feel a nice warm bed
Here the men must remain ten hours
be fore they can so on to the division
and home. when, an hour or two more
added to the sixteen hours limit would
have brought them home ten hours
he fore.
The railroad men claim that poor
Glspatching, or possibly carelessness III
getting trains over the road, is re-
sponsble for the bulk of the lay-over
trouble. They think that the men
should be given little more leeway,
and permitted to make better time
Freights, heavily loaded, are necessar-
lily subject to many delays. They have
more or less switching to do at the
larger stations, are oftentimes COM
PEELED to double hills, and lay out for
meeting orders. 1t Is one delay after
another, and the first thing the men
know they have worked sixteen hours
end must quit, no matter whether
they are almost in sight Of home.
The employees are as amenable to the
law as the railroad companies are II
they compel the men to work more
than sixteen hours. The men say 1t
would be better If they were given
some alternative in the matter, and, IL
they did not want to work over sixteen
hours. they would not have to. II, on
the other hand. they cared to stay out
an extra half hour, or an hour, they
feel the law should permit them, and
thus enable them, in many instances,
to reach home and spend their ten
hour lay-overs there rather than in
some strange town. Another thing
that must be taken into consideration,
the men point out, Is the added expense
it makes. They are compelled to main
tain homes anyway. and they cost as
much whether the head Of the house is
there or not. When they lay over at
other points their expense is doubled,
both for board and lodging.
Some of the men are inclined to CEN
sure the railroad companies for the
failure of the law to work out properly
They say that the situation Is much
the same as the 2-cent fare laW-the
railroads are doing what they can to
let the public get It's money worth by
providing poorer accommodations. The
men say that because the employees
worked for a sixteen-hour law and
regular rest. the railroads are now
showing them how the law can work
two ways.