Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-21
IOWA, .RAILRoAp MEN EXPLAIN
POSITION IN REGARD TO
WAGE, DEMANDS.
CLAIM CONDITIONS OF .
LABOR HAVE NOT IMPROVED
Work 10 Said 70 De Harder, and Pay is
Not Increased il Preportion-DeeIare
Companies Could Meet Demands if
4 Water logged Stock Was Eliminated
Men Fear Arbitration.

consisting OF local members VI
the railroad engineers and fire.
men, who are now in controversy
with railroad managers over working
conditions and saiary demands Monday
made public their side Of the case.
Summed up, the engineers and f1remen.
of whom there are about 600 locally af-
fected, believe that the railroads could
meet their demands if it were not that
they are burdened down with necessity
of paying dividends on "waterlogged
stock and wildcat promotion schemes"
The men also insist that they are
receiving less III proportion to the in
creased amount of work demanded
than they were in the old days when
labor saving machinery had not come
into vogue. They say the increased
length Of trains and the size Of the To-
comotives has made their work more
onerous without corresponding in
crease in salary. They point to the re-.
ports of the interstate commerce COM
mission, made after the body;s 1nvesti-
cation Of the eastern railroad situation,
to back up their claims. They do not
want to strike unless all other methods
fail.
The local committee consists Of the
following men: G. A. Goodwin and H.
w. Mackey, of the firemen. and A. W..
Ward and E. o. Buck. of the engineers.
Position Is Explained.
Mackey and Buck were the members
Of the committee who gave the follow
ing explanation of their position:
,"All we ask is that the public should
know exactly where the men stand and
what they are asking" they said. I'VE
feel that the railroads would be able
to meet our requests if they were not
trying to make their stock earn twice
as much as the physical valuation OF
the properties warrants. Take for ex-
ample the condition of the Chicago &
Alton railroad. They paid about $685.
100000 for that property and when
they reorganized it purchased 81 miles
of track for about 100000. A fair
valuation of that road now would be
about $52,00O,000 and yet 1t is capital
lied at S114,60O,0OO. This Is one of the
reasons they can not or say they can
not meet us in our demands. They
must pay dividends on that water.
Another reason why the railroads
about s250,00O,000 in stock bonuses.
Since they have done this they have to
pay dividends to the stockholders on
this amount. outside Of the real valua-
ton Of the property.
1.-The santa Fee, for example, paid
dividends on watered stock that was
almost double that paid in wages to
the engineers and f1remen. We know
that the stockholders have paid their
good money for this water and we do
not want them to lose, but what we
do insist is that the government should
curb the railroads so in the future
there can De no capitalization over the
actual physical valuation.
The people who are paying in
creased freight rates are not helping
pay the mems wages. They are pay
ing dividends on watered stock. We
have the same condition in the western
RAILROADS., in a measure, that were dis
closed in the New Haven scandal.
We hope that the managers will meet
us more than half way, but fear they
will not do So
IL Men Fear Arbitration.
We also fear the results of arbitra-
ting the difference, because we do not
believe that the awards of the arbitra-
ton board can be enforced even if
they are in favor of the men. We fear
the railroads will not abide by the re-
suits Of the arbitration if the result
should be against them.
at costs the railroads less per mile
to haul than. it did ten years ago and
yet they are not willing to raise our
wages. They have longer trains and
bigger engines and yet our working
hours and responsibilities are in many
cases longer and harder. They are
handling "a per cent more traffic for
each mile than formerly and yet the
commerce commission report shows
that the cost for engineers and fire.
men has decreased under the same
ratio. We have facts and figures to
back up. our claim and we. want the
public to consider both. sides Of the
question before they make their judg-
ment.
CREAMERY FIGHT TO CONGRESS.