Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-12
Wages High But
 Always in Debt
FIREMAN COMPLAINS OF THE
 COST OF LIVING.
TO THE PERPETRATORS
Receives $1oo Month. Not Extrava- sant in Dress and Has No Bar Bill, Yet Unable to Meet His Expenses

!, New York, March 1.-The high cost Of living and it's relation to the wages questions discussed today at the hear ing of the board chosen under the Erdman act to arbitrate the demands for higher wages and better working conditions of the fremen employed on 54 eastern railways. The rules promulgated by the railways and the question of promotions of fremen to De engineers were other subjects of testimony by the seven witnesses of the day-six firemen and one engineer. The firemen contend for one thing that the heavier engines now in use cause them to work harder for the same pay. They want two fremen assigned to such locomotives.
 Long Waits for Promotion.
 Two of the witnesses today declared that several years always elapsed af- ter a fireman passes his examination before he is placed on the list of extra engineers. John w. Locke, an engineer, formerly a fireman, em- ployed by the Lake Shore and Mich 1gan Southern railroad, stated that it took sixteen years before a fireman on the Lake Shore could become a regu- lar freight engineer.
 James A. Bell, a fireman for the castle, Pa, admitted that during the six years and four months he had been with the company he had received sev- eral increases in pay. but. he said:
 High Cost of Living.
 'I don't have any more money at the end of the month than I had when I first started to work for the road. I have to pay more for rent and more for living expenses, and everything is so high I do not seem to be any bet ter off,
 Bell said his wages averaged about $l00 month
 Not Extravaeat1t in Dress.
 Chairman William L. Chambers went into details with the witness con- corning his living expenses. Bell stated that his grocery bill was from $25 to $20 a month his fuel bill in sum- mer g, rent $15;s insurance S7, thea tres .(moving pictures only) Is to 20 cents no bar bill. Bell said he had not bought a new suit of clothes in year nor a new oVercoat in two years. His wife had only had two new dresses in a year. He did not em- ploy servant, he said, yet he was always in debt.
 Bremen Share Responsibility.
 The witness described the rules which he said virtually held the fire man responsible with the engineer for the safety of the train. He cited an example where an engineer and fire seeing it. Thoug; no accident re- suited, he said. the engineer was sus- pended for thirty days and the fire man for two weeks.
 Firing Is Hot Work.
 Interesting testimony of the hard ships of a ffreman's life, particularly in the summer time, was given by David May, fireman.
 Believe me, gentlemen, it's mighty hot on an engine in the summer" he said. One day last August I stood on the footboard of my engineer on the Baltimore and Ohio and the ther- mometer I had registered 120 degrees. While passing through a tunnel near actually burst by the heat.'
 A 76 Mile Run.
 Under these conditions May said he had to make a 76 mile run which ire quently required from 10 to Is hours, in which much hard work was re- quired of the fireman, particularly as cending Mt. Airy hill, a grade nine miles long