The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-29
Topeka Officials in Dismay
Over New Requests.
COST RAILROADS $50, 1000, 900
Rock Island and Santa Fe In
for a Large Share.
Tractiye Force of Engines is
Schedule Basis.

Railway officials in Topeka nave
received word of new wage oeIilo ne E
from the firemen ana ensiheI7
western lines-demands that VII! N
crease the payrolls py mo- mine
$4,000. and inaugurate an eiIlli
" new basis on which to carry OUT
the contracts for pay in the IuluI - :; !;
REPRESENTATIVE of the engineers anu
fremen on the Rock Island anu ~ oaile'
Fe have been Informed OF the Ieuei-
a1ion committees plan and a meeting
with the general managers Will pe ar
ranged for in November.
Officials of the Rock Island ana
Santa Fe have been notified OF lne
expiration of the present agreefneilts,
They have been notified that these
agreements will terminate November
10. AS result they demand a new
contract that will add $50, ,OOO,OoO 10
the expenses of the western ra1lroaus
and affect 10000 engineers ana tlre-
men from Chicago ana ol- Louio ~
the Pacific coast.
IT is known that the railways. as
usual will refuse to grant an IN
crease in pay. Local officials ana rep
resentatives of the Brotherhood or Lo-
comotive Engineers and the Brother
hood of Locomotive F'iremen and En-
ginemen do not anticipate strike as
a result of the refusal to meet the
demands 1t is customary LOT the
brotherhoods to ask for plenty, the
railroads TO QenS all anu Oil al Jill
ton committee to wave the flag OF
truce and bring peace between the
employee and employer.
Railroads Are Dissatisfied.
The odd feature of this years arbi-
tration is the fact that the railroad
officials as well as the brotherhoods are
dissatisfied with the present contracts
When both sides welcome an adjust
ment of wage schedules and working
conditions, it is promised that beau
tifuI battle will be waged between the
opposing forces in conference.
The engineers and firemen of the 81
roads entered into the demands have
recommended that the tractive power
and a weight upon drivers of loco
motive be the basis for computing the
variation in pay, instead of cylinder
diameter, as has been the case since the
advent of the larger type of engines.
BY adopting the tractive basis, no
change in weight can be made.
The chairman of each road has no
titled the officials of the result and that
it is desired to open schedules to make
changes in conformity with the action
of the committee and to advise the
committee of the General Managers
association of the vote cast and of the
desire of the two brotherhoods to meet
the general managers at their earliest
convenience to decide upon the pro-
posed new basis of pay.
1t IS presumed that it will be next
month or early in December before the
conference will be held. 1t is believed
that the greatest increase win come to the
smaller lines and on the smaller branches
OF the important corporations.
1t is claimed by the engineers and fire
men that there is a remarkable variation
in the rate of remuneration on the west
ern roads and that the pronosed confer
ence will establish uniform scale re-
gardless of the mileage of the road the
new rate being. governed solely by the
tractive force of the locomotive.
The Topeka officials are viewing the
movement for an increase in pay with
disnav owing to the greatly Increased
operating expenses of late years and the
inability to advance rates and earnings
in proportion.