The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-25
DUETOROOSEVELT
onioh Faciiic Makes Big Cut in
Working Time.
Also Rams to Discharge Several
Thousand Men.
MANIA FOR REEOpMn
MANIA FOR REFORM"
VI the President Is Given as
the Cause.
The Road VIII Not Change
Until He Does.

| Until He Does.
| ohana, Neb., Jan. 25.-The reduc-
'ioh OF working hours of Union Pa
CHG shopmen, which began last Mon
| oay' Is to be followed after today with
ieouct1on or working days from six
TO nve per week. At the HEADQUARTERS
OF the Union Pacific it is stated that
omaha will not be the only place at
iecteo and that there soon will be a
| seherai reduction Of the mechanical
loree OF the road along its entire line.
ihls reduction probably will affect sey
era thousand man. either by reduc-
mfssal
me World-Herald today quotes Vice
President MohIer as CHARGING tba
ductfon to President Roosevalt,s
mania Tor REFORM" and indicating
that his company would work WITH ?
reauced force as long as the presidents
activity against corporations continues
/ You may say that the Union Pa
CHIC is only cutting down because it has
to, he said. land not because it has
pleasure to the company to throw
thousands OF men out of work The
pupl1c VIII be in no way affected by
the reduction in force and all the com
Iorts TO travel will be preserved. Just
as reEg1ously as before
Is TINS Roosevelt prosperity that
makes this step necessary and il dis
gusts me that his mania for reform
should make the working class TINS
surfer This retrenchmen and econ
o ts WI be necessary just as long az
THIS administration keeps up its re
form activity. and so am unable to
say now long it will be before the old
working time and the rest of the
working force will be reinstalled."
The motor shops will not be affected
by the new rule, but other shops viii
be. Superintendent Of Motive Power
Mckeen admitted that the cut had
been made. but further than that he
refused to talk.
i Another View of 1t.
Chicago. Jan. 25-That freight
traffic conditions are recovering from
the financial stringency was the
statement of several traffic managers
and other high railway officials yes
lterday.
The improvement is said to be par
t1cularly noticeable in the traffic of
the railroads of the middle west.
where heavy grain shipments, almost
suspended while the stringency in the
money market was ct its height, now
are being made. While the statistics
of all roads throughout the country
for last week showed tnar 800, 1000, or
IA per cent of the 100000 freight
cars in service throughout the coun-
| try were standing idle, and in conse-
quence, thousands Of men had been
| thrown out Of work, railroad officials
| expressed the belief that the crisis
has passed and that no further reduc-
| tions Of the number of workmen
| would be necessary.
What Mohler Said Later.
Mr.. Mohler admitted to the Associa-
| ted
| would be a general reduction in hours
Of employees in the mechanical depart
rnents of the Union Pacific. He said
there was no political significance to
this reduction. declaring it was the re-
suit only Of reduced traffic. He stated
| that Mr.. Hartman had never given him
! any political instructions but admitted
it was his personal belief that Presi-
/ dent Roosevelt and no other person,
was the cause of the present reduction
/ in railroad traffic. He dictated state
ment regarding the report of the re-
duction printed in a local paper. as
follows:
'T was called up by telephone at
/ late hour in the evening relative to a
rumored reduction in the force of men
employed in the mechanical depart
| ment of our road and inquiries were
made, which to me seemed rather in
/ trusive. It was distinctly understood
that the conversation was of an in
dividual and not official character.
/ The reduction in force is only made
| to meet the same percentage of reduc-
ton in traffic and dealing directly as
we are with this large body of men.
| and realizing the suffering that en-
| sues and having been through similar
i experience in previous years. it Is not
| a pleasant task to perform nor pleas
| ant surroundings to view.
| "I have received no political instruc-
| lions from Mr.. Hartman, either. d-
rectly or indirectly since my connection
| with the Union Pacific railroad"
| Mr.. Mohler stated that there are
| about 5000 men employed in the me-
| chanical department at present but ad-
| mitted that the past four months had
witnessed reduction in force of about
| 5000 men, which is greatly in excess of
season
| No further reduction of force will be
made but hours of employment Will
be made as above indicated.
/ Another Pleasant Day.
/ The weather today has been very
pleasant and has been about all tina.
lanyone could want at this time of
| year. There has been but little wind
and the sky has been very clear. To-
morrow will be about the same kind
of day perhaps little Dit warmer.
The wind today is twelve miles an
hour from the south. The following
are the temperatures as recorded for
i today:
4 O'Clock. rs IL O'Clock. 40
Il o,clook 25f1o O'clock AT