The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-20
Corporations Don't Like Senate
Pay Day Bill.
Object to Paying Employees
Twice a Month.
SANTA FE TAKES ACTION
Sends Letter to Each Legisla-
tive Member.
Treasurer Copeland Complains
of High Cost.

The bill introduced recently in the
senate, requiring corporations in Kan
sas to pay their employees twice a
month at least. has instigated flood
of remonstrances which have poured
down upon the head of Senator Davis
of Bourbon, the author of the act.
The first signs of the filed objections
came in the form Of a letter written
by E. l. Copeland, secretary and treas
urer Of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe railway in Topeka. Treasurer Cope
land writes letter to each member
of the house and senate appealing the
case of the Santa Fe to their consid-
Grafton.
In his communication the railway
treasurer -+ates that it will cost the
company an additional $4,000 a year
to handle the semi-monthly checks of
the employees now paid by the month.
Furthermore the Santa Fe man is I'M
able to see what advantage it will be
to working man.
The communication from e. L. Cope
land. setting forth the corporation
side OF the semi-monthIy payday case
reads:
Letter From Il. L. Copeland.
nave just received informal ton that an
act providing for semi-monthly payment
OF wages Of railroad employees has been
presented in House Bill No. 50 by you as
representative from Montgomery county
Coffeyville.
For your information. L desire to state
that the employees of the A. T. & S. F.
hallway company in Kansas vary in
number from fifteen thousand five hun
dred to nineteen thousand people, and
tn semi-monthly payment of wages
would cause the issue of eighteen thou
sand additional checks with the number
now employed in Kansas.
The wages OF railroad employees are
not computed upon the same basis. The
1aboring man and mechanic are employed
by the hour by the day and by the piece;
bases or by the month; other employees
by the month, and some on bonus
schedule. 1t is not an easy matter to fig
ure out the earnings of the employees on
these different methods of pay, and it
takes much more time than if all en-
ployees were on a monthly basis.
The increased cost to the Railway COM
pany to issue the additional number OF
checks required for this payment would
month or between $22,OO0.Oo and s24, 10000
per year.
Our method of payment now takes care
of emergency cases of sickness OF death
in the families of employees, regardless
of the time of the month in which they
occur. We have stated pay day. being
that day falls on Sunday we make the
payment on Saturday, the 18th, whenever
possible.
Can See No Advantage.
I cannot see where any advantage is
to be received by the laboring man in
securing two pay checks month, which
VIII, IN any way, onset the additional
burden of expense to the railway COM
pany, as above recited.
We have always encouraged our en-
ployeeS to arrange for monthly credit at
the stores, and, in various parts of the
state board bills are taken care of, when
necessary When new employee takes
a position and is not able to pay for his
board, the foreman head of the de-
partment arranges to take care of the bill
until regular payday. The railroad en-
ployees have splendid credit. The few
garnishments filed against our employees
in Kansas show that their bills are paid
monthly. as agreed upon.
1t is our desire to have our employees
save their money, own their homes, and,
as far as possible, be permanently To-
Gated and in a position to render the best
service possible, for which they receive
good wages 1 do not believe that a
change in our present method of payment
would be of any special benefit to the
employees, and it would be an additional
expense to us as well as to every other
railroad in the state.
Please give full consideration to the
above statement of expense when the bill
referred to comes before the legislature
for action. Your truly,
Z. L. COPELAND,
Secretary and Treasurer.