The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-06-13
WEEKLY PAY
MENT LAW
Four States Attorneys Ex-
plain How II Has Worked
.C.V.R.R.CO .MAKESTROUBLE
The Railroad Company Evades the Act
Until It Is Driven to Observe
Il BY the State
Authority.
.C.V.R.R.CO .MAKESTROUBLE
[Cornnunicated.1

The Central Vermont Railway Ia npe-
rated in the counties of Franklin, Chit.
tenden, Washington, Orange and Wind
sor.
/ a weekly payment law was enacted
at the last legislature.
| Past legislatures were unsuccessful in
ienacting d weekly payment law, at.
! though labor organizations within the
state had fought hard TO bring about the
weekly payment OF wages.
No corporations in Vermont were more
vitality affected By the weekly payment
law than the Vermont Marble company
| of Proctor, the Howe Scale Works Ut
Rutland and the Fairbanks Scale com
| pany ait st. Johnsbnry. This law was
favored BY Governor Proctor, president
Of the marble company, and by DR.. j..
"A. Mead, president Of the Howe Scale
works, who is q candidate for lieutenant
governor.
Lieutenant Governor Prouty, as presi.
dent Of the Senate, was energetic iii urg-
Ing the passage Of the bill He has
been for years an employer of large
number Of help. He was among Tho first
Of Vermont employers To make weekly
payments and this began fully fifteen
years ago.
The passage of this bin was vigorously
opposed, especially hy the railroad lobby,
How has The law been observed BY
the corporationsg
10 their credit, ii may be said that
corporations generally have observed the
law 10 comply with IL has neeessItated
a daily pay day with the Vermont Mar
Bile company. as the work necessary to
paying the help could not be accom-
jplished In single day. 1t requires ak
days every week To meet the demand oil
the law with this corporation.
But how about the Central Vermont
Railway company
One of the states attorneys in one Of
the counties named makes this explana-
ton III what be had to do before weekly
payment of wages was secured to the
railroad employees residing in his county.
He says
III conceived 1t my duty To get the
names Of all employees 81 corporations
coming under the law and see that they
had their pay weekly / did 81 20 far as
( WAS able and | think 1 succeeded in
getting most of them.
Then / sent notice, covering each IN
.fliYidual, 70 the corporations respectively.
! forced the Central Vermont Railway
To pay every man, ard / took d great
deal of trouble upon myself to advei Use
that would GET their pay weekly, and
al soon as cot enough of the men on
the weekly payroll. the balance began
to come t0 me and TEN their story.
After / had succeeded III getting d
number of names, without THE men
knowing about 1t even, and mailed the
notices, ] found that the Central Yer.
mont would take lit up with each man
and try To evade The matter iii that way,
but. | did not listen to II, and kept get-
ing after them until | hare them All, 4
believe.
Mr.. Writers referring to the chief
counsel of the CentralI took very Nh
GUITAR stand, and that was that THE
states attorney had no business III send
m notice to 4 corporation coming within
the law until the man, the employe.
made the complaint"
Another states attorney says;
THE company refuse To pay each week
unless employees request IN be placed
on the list through the states attorney
of the county where employee resides.
i have even had them refuse To pay each
week men who were changed from one
department To another. 10 net think
this ii right. | have placed about two