The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-04
IMPROVE STATUS
 OF RAILROAD MEN
M. J. MURPHY WHO IS ASSISTING IN ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYEs EX- PLAINS WHY MANY RAILROAD MEN ARE IDLE

tion to be known as the American Railroad Employees and Investors as- socation" is going on at rapid pace and the organizers who are working the different cities along the 59 great trunk lines of the country are adding hundreds of names to the membership roll at every city.
 M J. Murphy of Springfield, Mo-, is the man who is organizing the rail- road men of Birmingham and securing their names on the memb ership list ef the association. MT. Murphy was in the city two weeks ago and was work
 ing among the employees of the Frisco. He made several speeches and created considerable interest in favor of the organiza tion. He will probably return to Birmingham next week to complete his work.
 Mr Murphy has written the following letter on Why Railroad Iden Are Idle" which explains the nature of his work.
 To the Editor of The Herald:
 The vast decrease in the earning power of the employees in all depart ments on the railroads in the United States since the beginning of the panic in 1907 to the present time have prompted the employees to ask, "1s tn ere no way to better our condition?" And If so, what are they? As one who is per sonally interested and who has had some experience l wish to briefly state the conditions prior to the panic of 1907 and compare them with the condi- tions from October, 1907. to the pres ent time and offer a few suggestions.
 On June 1, 1899. the locomotive en- gineers on the Frisco systems obtained a schedule from the general mana ger. MT B. F. Yoakum. that gave the en- gineers an increase in pay and permit ted them in conjunction with the su- perintendent of motive power to as sign a regular number of engineers in passenger and freight service on tn cir respective divisions. A sufficient mum Der of passenger men were assigned on regular runs so that the minimum rate of pay or mileage per man was from S165 to $200 per month. When the mileage on all runs would bring this over $200 per month another man would be put on so as to keep the
 monthly earnings of each man some where between S175 and s1S5 per month. Freight engineers were as- signed to divisions and the runs made on an average of s1S5 per month to each man and while their wages were
 increased per mile according to ella ass of engines In 1904 and 1907 the en-
 gineers still maintained the average earning power per man each month of about $1S5. In the last half of 1908 and the first half of 1907 some 50 firemen were promoted to engineers and some 20 engineers hired on the eastern division alone and all regular and extra engineers were making good time, each earning from $150 to S200 per month. Shop men and employees in all departments had received an in- crease in pay and were working full time and overtime. A happy, more pros porous and contented set of railroad employees you could not find on the face of the globe than were on tn e Frisco from 1899 to 1907. Then with out a word of warning. like a thunder bolt from out of the clear sky, ,n- panic struck us with cyclonic force bringing ruin and poverty among us Business fell off to such an extent that the earning power of the regular freight engineers decreased to less than $95 per month. while 315 to s25 was the best the extra engineers could earn. We then had to reduce the nun Der of engine crews in the freight ser vice by taking the hired engineers out of service and reducing the promoted men back to firing. The regular pas senger engineers in order to help their younger brothers voluntarily laid off and divided tn cir earning power with freight men. so as to keep from adding to the number of the unemployed The company was forced through a decrease in business and earning to lay off a large number of men In all departments. yet the company made a special effort to retain as many of the employees as possible. going so far as to divide the loaf by putting the men on half time, eight hours per day. and three days per week TOT shop men, and only kept enough men on maintenance of track as was consistent with safety. Yet. notwithstanding the fact that thousands upon thousands of railroa d employees all over the United States are idle and to this number were added thousands upon thousands of men from other industries and notwithstanding the fact that the earning power of the laboring men in the United States has decreased over $2,o0G, 900 per day, or over $600.000.000 year, the prices of flour. meat. potatoes. butter anu eggs has increased until they are al most prohibitive and has become a luxury on the laborinE mans table. Now. what has caused this decrease In the la aboring mans earning power? l answer. adverse legislation that has re- duced the earning powers of the rail road in freight service over 41 per cent in the last 10 years. This reduction of the earning powers of the railroads has forced them to cut down operating expenses to the lowest minimum pos ; sible.
 The result was that the railroad ceased building and all Improvements and in spite of all they coud do their property has depreciated in value and efficiency, but the heaviest burden of this adverse legislation fell on the la boring man. Thousands were thrown out of employment and lost their homes and were compelled to 1o.S the army of the unemployed, while their wives and children suffered for the neces- saries of life. Is there no way to remedy this evil? Is there no way for the laboring man to better his con- dition? I answer. yes, l believe tn ere Is. How? By proper organization of
 the employees and Investors of rall- roads.
 Surely the men who furnish the money to build and equip railroads and the men who furnish the brain and brawn to op- crate them. can organize and get together under the banner of the American Rail- road Employees and Investors associa- ton. and by moral. legal methods place