New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-12
F|REMEN LAY BARE
HARD ROW THEY HOE
Tell Arbitrator That Men with
Families Cannot Live on
Present Wages.
MUST Do EXTRA WORK. TOO
Men Find Heat Oppressive in
Summer-Share Responsibility
for Trains Safety Nearly
Equal TO the Engineer

The arbitration board appointed under
the Erdman act "a settle the differences
between the thirty-hve thousand fremen
on the Gfty-fcur Eastern railroads ard
the managers of the roads listened 10 ;he
personal experiences OF locomotive fire
men and cneinemen who testified Ut tho
second hearing of the hoard at the Wal
dorf Yesterday. Every witness examined
hy ". ;. carter. president of the Broth
erhood Of Locomotive Fircmcn and En-
gncmcn. had similar story to tell of
the harGships of their lives under present
conditions
Judge William l.. Chambers. chairman
Of tho arbitration board took keen IN
tcrcst i'm the detailed account some OF
the men gave of their living expenses ana
the hard time the men of family had 10
make both ends meet under the present
wage scale.
The chairman questioned several wit
ncSscs at length on this point, and the
apparent result showed that while the
cost of living had materially increased
during the last few years the wages of
the hrcmen had not increased proper
tionatelv. There were added responsible
ties and extra hours of work owing TO
increasing traffic. the increase of TONNAGE
on trains adding materially to the fire
mans work. with no proportonatc in
crease in wages in tho case of many Of
the railroads. according to the witnesses.
Firemen Still Loyal to Roads.
n was noticeable that while the fremen
had their grievances and wanted more
pay for the work they do now. and to be
relieved from certain existing conditions
Undef which they worked. they displayed
a loyalty TO and pride i'm the roads for
which they worked However David
MAY a freight fireman on the Baltimore
divisio, Of the Baltimore Il Ohio Rail-
road rold of conditions on that road Of
which he evidently was not proud.
lie had seventy-siX-mile run on his
division. and it took from ten to fifteen
hours to make il, as rule. he said. Five
or six hours and sometimes more. were
wasted IN getting a train out OF the
yards and away from the initial terminal
The witness said that he had To tack
flags on their poles and put wicks in the
lanterns used ON the engines and do a
great deal of similar work. besides clean
ing the engine, To prepare for trD.
Though the hremcn didn't want pay for
this extra work. he thought they should
lac relieved of il. and that it could be done
by roundhouse men to the advantage of
both the firemen and the road All the wit
nesses agreed with May on this point.
The Baltimore q Ohio unlike most Of
the other roads. did undertake TO place
the tools on the engine Tor the fireman
when they had Them he said.
DO You ind the neat excessive in your
work. Mr.. Carter asked MAY
The witness said that in the summer
time the temperature In the cab was
never below ~ degrees Going mp Mount
Airv !iill. a nine-mil' grade on his divi-
sion. mis- loevclcss shirt had become so
saturated with perspnation that he could
wiring water from ii, he said. lie had 10
take off his shoes and pour the water out
after making this grade in summer time.
"One day in August" continued the wit
ness. i had tho thermometer on the foot
board and IL registered 10 degrees or
more all the time Coming back on the
same run. with the same engine and the
same engineer, after We had come
! through a short tunnel on the line the
thermometer had busted said May
j. +. Weaver. Of Elkhart Ind. a fire
man on the Lake Shore Ioad. testified that
1T was hard work to get into Chicago with
a heavy train without being arrested
for violating the city ordinance against
making black smoke" A city official
would take the name Of the fireman end
the number of the engine. ana later on the
fireman would come In for discipline anC
"a PENALTY from the railroad officials. he
said.
Other witnesses testified in regard 10
the grave responsibilities placed upon the
'hremen. and cited cases to show that he
shared tie responsibility for the safety Of
the train nearly on an equality with the
engineer Penalties and suspensions were
imposed :or even minor lnfractions of the
companies rules. some 100 OF which the
frcmen were supposed to be familiar with,
they said.