The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-12
HIGH COST OF LIVING
DISCUSSED BY THE
STRIKE MED|ATORS
Firemen Claim That Salaries
Paid Them Are Not Suf-
ficient to Meet Living
Expenses

New York March 1.-THE high cost or
living and its relation to wages received
by firemen was one of the questions dis
cussed today at the hearing of the board
chosen under the Erdman act to arbi-
trate demands of the firemen employed
on "a eastern railways for higher wages
and better working conditions. The rules
promulgated by the railways and the
question of promotions of firemen TO be
engineers were other subjects of testi-
mony by the seven witnesses of the day.
six firemen and one engineer The fire
men contend that the heavier engines
now in use cause them to work harder for
the same pay. They want two firemen
assigned to such iemotives.
John w. Locke an engineer formerly a
fireman. employed by the Lake Shore and
Michigan Central railroad, stated that it
took 16 years before a fireman on the
Lake Shore could become regular freight
engineer.
James e. Bell. fireman for the Penn
sylvania lines, admitted that during the
six years and four months he had been
with the company lie had received sew
eral increases in pay, but, he said;
II don't have any more money at the
end of the month than [ had when l
first started to work for the road. 1
have to pay more for rent and more
for living expenses and everything Is so
high | don't seem to be any better Off
Bel said his wages averaged about 500
a month
Chairman William l., Chambers went
into details with the witness concerning
his living expenses. Bell stated that his
grocery bill was from $25 to $50 a month,
his fuel bill in summer s2 rent s15 insur
ance ST, theatres Qmoving pictures only
10 to 20 cents; no bar bill.
Clothing Bell said, did not count for
himself, as he had not bought a new
suit in a year not new overcoat in
two years. His wife, he said, had only
two dresses in year. He did not em-
ploy a servant, he said, yet he was
always in debt
The witness described the rules which
he said virtually held the firemen re-
sponsible with the engineer for the safety
of the train. He cited an example where
an engineer and fireman passed a block.
signal without seeing it. Though no ac-
cident resulted he said the engineer was
suspended for 80 days and the fireman
for two weeks.
Interesting testimony of the hard
SHIPS OF a fireman s lie, pdfl1culdrly
in the summer, was given by David
May. a fireman.
s"Believe me, gentlemen, it's mighty
hot on an engine in the summer" ne
said. "One day last August 1 stood on
the footboard of my. engine on the
Baltimore & Ohio and the thermometer
in it registered 40 degrees. While
passing through a tunnel near Mount
Airy, Nd, the thermometer was ac-
tually burst by the heat"
Under these conditions May said he
had to make a 76-mile run which fire.
quently required from 10 to 15 hours.
E. l.. McGinnis testified that firemen
on the Pennsylvania were required to
memorize instructions which 1t was
absolutely impossible for one man to
remember" Firemen were held re-
sponsible for these rules and were dis
ciplined for failure to observe them,
he said McGinnis produced five books.
the rules. One of the rules
was that fireman must notify his
engineer of every signal passed affect
ing his train.
1--WE pass, on an average, signal
every As seconds" said McGinnis.
what do you do when you have to
shovel coal?" asked Judge Chambers.
Sometimes the signals are far apart
and that gives me time. but I've got to
see those signals not only for my own
sake, but for the sake of the train