The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-05-08
DULUTH STREET .' sss
% RAILWAY COMPANY
A Public Service Corporation Whose
Transit Facilities Merits -.
..s ,.4 All Praiaa u, 49,.

~
Transit Facilities Merits -
~~,. All Praise.
No public sercvice corporation In
the city Of Duluth has more faithfully
or more satisfactorily performed it's
duty to the public than the Duluth
Street Railway company.
The company's efforts have always
been directed along the lines indicated
by an Intelligent and broad concep-
ton of the city's needs, and as a
consequence improvements and ex-
cal demands but in most instances
anticipated them.
The service rendered by the COM
pany has always kept pace with the
rapid growth and development Of the
city, and it is not putting it too strong
to state, for it is the consensus Of
opinion expressed by visitors from far
and near that the streetcar service
accorded to our people is equalled only
in a very few cities, and is nowhere
excelled.
The entire career of this company
has been marked by ability, enter
prise and liberality and 10y constant
endeavor to give the people the best
possible service, and it is certainly
doing it,
labor-the company pays it's conduct
ors and motormen from / cent to Is
cents per hour according to length of
time In service.
During the first year Of service the
pay is FL cents; second year, % cents;
third year, % cents; fourth and fifth
years, "a cents, and after five years,
rs cents.
Only twice in the history Of the
company since 1889 have wages been
reduced and on those occasions bust
ness depressions made such action
necessary.
During the past twenty years the
company has raised wages six times.
Each time the Increase has been VOL
untary on the part of the company.
In the past ten years the wages Of
conductors and motormen have, as
shown by table below, steadily in
creased from 1928 cents in 1898 to
22.04 cents in 1908, an increase of 66
percent.
Average rate per hour paid conduct
ors and motormen: 1898, 1928 cents;
1899, 1858 cents; 1900, II. % cents;
1901, 1744 cent9s; 1902, 1858 cents;
1903, 1914 cents; 1904, 1s4S cents;
1905, 1913 cents; 1906, 2o.44 cents:
1907, 21.3S cents; 1908, 22.O4 cents
The company's payroll for March,
1909, amounted to $2S,074.77, and con-
tanned total Of 456 names, including
extra conductors and motormen and
men who worked only part fthe
month making the average pay of
all those on the payroll for March,
$61.57 Eliminating extra conductors
anr motormen and other employees who
did not work steadily through the
month and including only those en-
ployes who worked full time on 27
or more days during the month the
the 3OS employees who worked steadily
earned an average of $7216 per month.
The II conductors and motormen who
were on the extra list during the entire
month earned, an average Of $60.45.
The above is taken from the payroll
for what is practically a winter month.
The payroll is, of course, much larger
| in the summer months.
The company was organized in 1881.
1t went through receivership and
was reorganized in 1900. 1t has a debt
| Of $2,500,000 on which it pays per
cent, besides debt of $1.5OO,OO0
to the Duluth Superior Traction COM
pahy, foreign corporation which
advanced the money to put the COM
pany on it's feet and rebuild it's lines
in 1900. On the latter debt the COM
pany pays per cent. All of this
money together with the $500. 900
capital stock, was used to build and
rebuild it's lines and the company has
no "watered Stock" and so far has
| not paid any dividends on it's invest
| ment.
1t is now earning something above
its interest but is putting it all back
! into Improvement Of it's property.
The company issues universal trans
fers and gives a ride Of IL miles for
one five cent fare. While five cents
today will not purchase as much as
1t did 20 years ago in any other COM
modify, it certainly goes a good deal
farther on the cars of the Duluth street
| Aoh"dy COlIIpdIly ludu IL formerly ala
! when greater length Of ride and in
| creased comfort are taken into con-
sideration.
| Sixteen years ago the motormen of
the company were compelled to work
twelve or more hours day, standing
on the front platform of car with
out vestibule or even anything to
break the force of the wind more than
the dash board which came a little
above their knees. In those days it
was customary for motormen to wear
three or four suits of underwear and
bundle themselves up in fur coats and
even then they suffered as it was ne
cessary for them to have their eyes
exposed in order to see the track
ahead, and any one accustomed to the
winter billiards. in Duluth when the
mercury is down around 30 below zero
can readily realize what they suffered
The conductor also had to stand on
an open platform, but he did not suf-
fer as much as he was protected from
the force of the wind, and his duties
required him to be inside the car part
Of the time.