New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-25
SAYS INCREASE Of PAY
WOULD USE UP SURPLUS
# All Got Same Raise as En-
qineers, Asserts Official
of Pennsylvania.
TELLS OF IMPROVEMENTS
Mr.. Atterbury Declares They
Yield No Cash Returns-Ob-
jects to Continuous EN-
ployment" Demand.

". w. Atterbury. yce-president OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad, in charge OF
operation east of Pittsburgh, submitted a
table yesterday to the board Of arbitra-
ton at Manhattan Beach, showing that
if that road should increase the wages OF
all its employees by the same percentage
O2i per cent? which the engineers de-
mand, the increased expenditure would re-
duce its present surplus of sl3, l6S,3IS to
S36S.110: in other words, practically wipe
II out.
The total increase in engineers wages
alone would amount to S911 $50. he pointed
out, but what all the railroad witnesses
have insisted upon Is their fear that IL
the commission awards the engineers the
increase they ask. a proportionate in
crease must follow all along the line,
pinching financially even the strongest
roads.
Mr.. Atterbury said that in the ten years
between 1900 and 1910 the Pennsylvania
had paid approximately 100000 out OF
its surplus for improvements which It
could not CAPITALIZED that is, for such inn
provements as the elimination Of grade
crossings. the substitution of steel for
wooden passenger cars, moro comfortable
stations and the like, from which the
financial return was negligible. He main
talned that should the railroads surplus
he wiped out by the demands Of labor,
the public would have to forego further
improvements Of this class.
Van Hi.e Disasrees With Him.
He got into a discussion with President
Van Hlse Of the University Of Wlscon-
sin. one OF the arbitration commissioners,
on this subject. a discussion which pos
sessed added significance from the prob
ability that Mr.. Atterbury will be the next
president Of the Pennsylvania.
Dr. Van Hise took the position that the
class OF improvements mentioned did
Weld a financial return, that otherwise no
railroad could Justify itself in making
them, that, as matter Of fact. they
were compelled 10 make them by the
competitive activities Of the other rail-
roads and that they earned their income
through saving OF the traffic which
otherwise might drift 10 competitors. Mr..
Atterbury took the more direct and prac-
teal view Of the railroad operator II
was his contention that no road had
right TO capitalize that for which IL could
show no earning capacity. that you
couldn't go into the market and ask for
money 10 finance improvements which
would yield no tangible returns
And Chairman Oscar $. Straus OF the
arbitration board talked OF the human as
distinct from the economic demands
which a railroad needed.
Mr. Attcrbury's direct examination,
which amounted to an address illustrated
by sheets Of statistics. brought another
set Of questions from Or Van HIse when
II reached the subject OF the death rate Of
engineers.
1T IS rather curious and II Is cXceed-
ingly interesting 10 note" said Mr.. After
bury. that the average age at death OF
all classes of our employees. officers and
everything else, was forty-nine. as
against hfty-one for engineers, and the
average age at death was thirty-three for
all as against forty-tvo for engineers. In
other words, apparently the engineers
length Of life Is longer than tho average
Of al employees
would that result follow" asked the
university president, because OF tho fact
that before becoming engineers there has
been seleCtion?'