The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-12
RAILROAD NEWS.
Many Roads Are Increasing
Their Wage Scale.
Eastern Lines Gradually Giving
Western Wages.
RUN SIDE BY SIDE.
But Conductors on Two Lines
Receive Different Pay.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad World.

Following the announcement of gen.
eral increases OF pay last week on the
! Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia &
| Reading, the New York Central, On
April 1, announced an increase of Z per
cent to all employees receiving not more
| than 500 a month. says the Railway
Age Gazette. Yard conductors and
yard brakemen will receive three cents
an hour additional. Employees of the
engineering and maintenance of way
departments are excepted, their wages
| having bean recently adjusted. and the
exception applies also to the conduc-
tors, trainmen and telegraphers, whose
committees have recently been in con-
ference with the general manager. The
general increase applies also on the
Boston & Albany.
The Erie railroad. following extend
ed conferences, has increased the pay
of locomotive enginemen. It is said
that in view Of the financial condition
of the Erie. the enginemen did not
stand out for rates as high as those
which have been granted on other
roads. The difference between the Erie
wages and those of other companies
will be about the same as before.
The Erie has reduced the working
time of the men in all of it's shops
from So hours a week to 40 hours
week; this in consequence of the fall
ing off in freight traffic since the first
OF April.
The Atlantic Coast Line, following
protracted negotiations. has made
rev agreement with the Brotherhood
OF Locomotive Engineers, to hold for
two years: and it is said unofficia1ly
that the men secure an increase of
about : per cent in their pay.
The Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn
has increased the pay of all employees
per cent.
The Delaware. I.ackawanna & West
ern is negotiating with committees of
conductors and brakemen. It is said
that the company refuses to pay as
high rates as those which have been
granted by the Baltimore & Ohio.
The Delaware &. Hudson on April 4,
offered its conductors and trainmen an
increase of per cent in pay, but it
Goes no. appear that the employees have
as yet accepted the offer.
The Norfolk & Western. following
extended conferences. has increased
the pay Of firemen about per cent.
Some of the track laborers on the
Delaware & Hudson struck April 1 for
an increase of pay from $1.40 a day to
"a 20, bat it is said that the men re-
turned to work pending negotiations.
Track laborers of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton e Dayton struck April for
an increase of pay.
Increases of from 1 cent to IL cents
an hour were made April 1 in the pay
of conductors and motormen of the
Rhode Island company, which operates
most of the street cars in Rhode Is
land This company is controlled by
The New York. New Haven & Hart
lord.
On the night of March 81 there was
strike. in New York harbor of the
pilots and masters on the tug boats of
the Baltimore & Ohio, the Central of
New Jersey, the Delaware, Lackawanna
49, r a
roads. 1t appears that the other roads
doing business in the harbor had made
increases in wages, but that the four
named stood out. Within one or two
days the companies announced that
they were moving nearly or all their
freight. and the strike seems to have
failed.
The new rates of wages agreed to
between the New York. New Haven &
Hartford and its conductors ara based
1Oc miles. The conductors receive
$4.2o per 1877 miles: ticket collectors,
49, for the same distance: baggage
masters, $2.75 per 1T miles; brakemen,
81. 55 per 40 miles.
A. B. Garretson, president of the
Conductors Brotherhood, says that
q nductors on the New York Central
receive less pay than those on any 9th
ming the Twentieth Century Limited
express train from New York to Buff
falo, 40 miles, receives less than 81
per 100 miles. while the conductor of
controlled by the N. Y. c. running the
same train from Buffalo to
Chicago SIS miles. receives $3.50 per
100 miles. The Baltimore & Ohio has
for years paid $3.50 per 100 miles on
through express trains and on some
other trains, and henceforth will pay
$26S. Freight conductors on the New
York Central receive, $3.50 and So per
100 miles. while en- other lines controll- |
ed by the New York Central they re-
ceive 1920. On the Baltimore & Ohio |
freight conductors have received So. 461S |
ard will now receive 1888. West of
Chicago freight conductors receive
Sc. 80 per 100 miles.
The increases of pay which have been |
granted or the Baltimore & Ohio, I'M |
der the mediation of Messrs. Knapp |
and Nei1. and which have furnished |
the basis for the settlement of differ |
of other roads, appear. from an official /
statement. to amount to the following |
percentages: Passenger conductors |
4.76; baggagemen 11.66: brakemen 1888. |
Freight conductors, through, AT; 10 |
cal 2.77: freight fagmen, through. |
4.39; local. 10: brakemen, through, |
AT; local. 1.33. Work train conductors |
1000; fiagnen 9.7S: brakemen -9.78. Thesa |
age under each heading, and the aver
age increase granted to all classes of
trainmen is calculated at R44 per cent. |
The variety of rates under each head
is due to differences in length of runs
and other conditions. The principal
changes in the rates per mile are:
Passenger conductors. old, 2.6 cents:
new, 2-6S cents: increase 20S per cent;
rev minimum rate per month, $125.
handling express, old,
1.53 cents: new. 1.65 cents; increase
Z .s4 per cent; not handling express, old,
1.Ss cents: new. 1.55 cents; increase
1892 per cent: new minimum, handling
express. $79; not handling express, $75. |
Brakemen, old. 1.33 cents; new, 1.50 |