Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-16
According to Latest Estimates
There Are 67A,259 EN-
pIoyes in Line.
1880 ON HARTMAN LINES
Twenty Years of Continuous Employ
mcnt Arc Necessary to Qualify Tor
Pensions i'm the West.


bv many of the railroad companies
throughout the country is growing 10
extensive proportions Is shown by
statistics gathered from reports OF tho
United States commissioner OF labor.
the Interstate commerce commission
and other sources. Among tho western
roads which have Installed the pension
system for the retirement on pay OF
supcrannuated or disabled employees
are the oregon Short Line, the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific.
According to the lntcst estimates OBJ
tninable there are 67i,2 259 railroad en-
ployes In the United states In line Tor
pensions. This Is about 40 per cent or
the total number OF railroad employees
In this country. Thirteen railroads re-
port that 1863 men drew pensions aS-
gregating S9li. .6951o In the nscai year
ending June 30. 1917.
A number of railroads have had un-
official pension systems for many years.
Among these is the Central Railroad
OF New Jersey. the New York Central
also granted pensions before IL IN
augurated its official plan on Jan l,
1910. The officials In charge OF the
pension department of the New YORK
Central. with its 10000 employees. eSt-
mate that the Inauguration of the new
TO the number already drawing PEN
sions.
The u railroad systems having pen
sion departments in operation are the
Atchisun. Topeka Sc Santa Fe, the AT
lantIc Coast Line. the Bessemer %
Lake Erie railroad. the Baltimore q
Ohio, the Boston Ss Albany, the But
falo. Rochester & Pittsburg. the CEN
tral OF New Jersey. the Chicago d
-. N lsanrF III
Minneapolis & Omaha, the Cleveland
Terminal & Valley the Delaware.
Lackawanna & Western. the Houston
& Texas. the New York Central. the
Illinois Central the oregon Railroad
* Navigation Co.. the Oregon Short
Line, tho Pennsylvania, the Philadel-
phla & Reading. the Rock Island, the
Southern Paclnc and the Union Pa
cific The employees OF the numerous
subsidiaries are Included, OF course,
in the pension systems.
In the majority OF cases the pen
sion is fixed at 1 per cent of the aver
age wage for the 10 years next pre-
ccding retirement. multiplied by the
number OF years OF service. For cX-
ample, If an englneman has earned
$3.50 n month on the average during
the last 10 years of his service, and
has been In the employ of the com
pany for so years. he is retired on
pension of Si5 a month.
COMPANY PAYS THEM
In every case the pension fund is
supported exclusively by the company,
the employees not contributing thereto.
The pensions are given for both su
perannuatlon and disability. The age
OF retirement on four roads-the At
Gibson, Topeka & Santa Fe. the Baltl-
ha IAghngfnr
& Plttsburg. and the New York Central
is 81 years. on the rest of the roads
IL Is 40 years, Half of the roads limit
the age at which labor may be en-
ployed to 80 years, and half to As years.
TWO roads. the Rock Island and the
Union Pacific. make the distinction of
employing inexperienced labor at 80
years, and experienced at IS years.
The length of service after which a
man Is eligible for pension varies
with the different roads from 10 to
30 years. 20 years being the average.
All insist on continuous service. but
the Interpretation OF this term *
most liberal AS a general rule. leave
of absence, suspension for discipline.
or temporary lay-off mot exceeding
one year, on account OF reduction In
force is not considered a break in the
continuity of service. When an em-
ploye leaves the road voluntarily. OF
course. he interrupts the continuity OF
his service. and may destroy n long
record emitting him to a liberal PEN
sion
The records of employment are cAre-
fully kept. some of the card index files
containing from 250,000 to 100000
names. An instance Is cited. whero an
cngineman applied for a pension for
service dating from 1869. His re-
cord showed that he WAS entitled TO
a pension for service dating from
1866, and he was so notified.
ON HARTMAN LINES.
or the total number of employees on
roads having pension systems in force,
the oregon Short Line has $500, tho
Union Pacific 23000, and the Southern
Pacific 81. 600 During the last year OF
which statistics are available. the Orc
gon Short Line paid out to 13 pension
ers the sum of 81. SO 10; the Union Pa
cifc. 10 SIS pensioners. S.9S0.69, The
age OF employment and retirement on
| the Short Line arc 80 and 20. respective
| ~, and on the Union Pacific 50 to i5
and &c for retirement. The number OF
years of continuous employment neces-
Sary In qualify for pensions Is the
Same on the Oregon Short Line and the
| Union Pacific, namely. 20 years. or
some roads such as the Pennsylvania
and Reading. 30 years continuous serv-
| ice is required, while on Atlantic Coast
| Line and the Baltimore & Ohio only II
| years continuous service Is required
before eligibility TO the pension list Il