Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-12-09
CARTER TOLD Of The
engineers LOW PAY
CHARLES NAGEL lESTER
DAY TOOK A HAND IN
QUESTIONING.
GIVES The FIGURES
Fifty Per Cent Make Less Than
Sixty Dollars
Il Month.

CHICAGO. Dec. S.-Questioning of
W. s Carter, president Of the Brother
hood OF Locomotive I1remen and En-
gincmen by Charles Nagel, former
secretary of commerce and labor, now
a member OF the board OF arhitra-
tion appointed under the Ntwlands
act today enlivened the hearing on
the wage demands OF the engnemen
of 9S western railroads.
"Mr. Carter asked Nagel, have
you investigated the relation OF the
wages of railroad men outside the 10
comotlye, station agents. for In
stance?"
NO; l have not, but they are very
poorly paid-very poorly replied
Carter.
How about railroad clerks how
does their pay compare with that Of
enginemen ?"
Il know that their pay is very
small"
"Do you know why2"
Are Not Organized.
Well, ] know that they are not or
ganized. II they were, they could
speak collectively and more attention
would be paid to what they said"
Nage1 next asked II the witness
thought that in view OF the intermit-
tent nature OF employment in other
Industrial trades, rates of pay for such
employment could be fairly compared
with railroad rates.
Many Dcprcssions.
THE Jobs Of railroad euEinemen
are the most intermittent Of any class
that ! know Of" said Carter. There
may be one period OF depression a
year in other industries, but in the
railroad business ordinarily falls off
two or three times a year
A compilation bearing on this sub
jeCt was introduced as exhibit eight
giving the purported earnings of fire
men and enginemcn in the first two
or three years Of their service, begin
ming with the year 1912. 1t was COM
piled under the direction of Carter
but was based on an immense amount
Of data supplied by the railroads.
The data was made available for
reference but was not part of the rec
ord, The witness summarized some
of the tables ms follows:
OF 4,09S promoted GrOm firemop)
engineers 2,249 or 5S.S per cent have
earned an average Of less than $50
per month for the months worked.
OF l,l96 hired from other roads,
engineers, SIS. or 1897 per cent, have
earned for the months worked an
average of less than $50 per month
only 619, or 47.74 per cent, have
earned more than an average Of 500
per month for the months worked.
OF 23,919 firomen, 1876, or 45.0Q
per cent, have earned for the months
worked an average of less than $50
a month; only 619, or 1913 per cent
have earned more than an average of
$50 per month for the months
worked
Pay For Their Work.
Nagel then asked if the witness
thought that business conditions, the
bankruptcy of one road and the pros
perity of another should be consid-
cred In making an award, or if the
board should consider only the pro-
ductive value of the men. Carter re-
piled that the men should be paid for
all the work they do, and this amount
does not depend on the financial con-
diton of the employing railway The
board member then asked how en-
ginemen were paid, compared with
steamship men.
Il understand that the mariners
yet low pay" replied Carter "but
understand also that tips form a large
Fart of their earnings"
Why" he continued, 81 under
stand that there are ships where a
captain will not look at 500 tip"
When James NJ. Sheean, attorney
for the railroads, took up the cross
examination, he attacked the COM
para;ive tables, and for this purpose
hit upon the record of l.. r. Proudfit,
who, in 1912, was promoted by the
Illinois Central to be an engineer. The
table showed that Proudfit did not
work as an engineer during the
months Of September, November and
December of that year and that in
every other month of the year except
January his earnings were small. TO-
falling for the year, s2s1.39.
Sheean stated that while Proudfit
seemed to be in a bad way for money
as q matter OF fact in October Proud.
ut earned only $40 as an engineer
ne drew Sll7 as a fireman.
Carter explained that his tables
showed only what he said thev
showed-his earnings as an engineer.
Al. f. Byram, vice president OF the
Illinois Central, and a member OF the
board, asked the witness II he had
any idea Of the cost TO the railroads
II the wage demands advocated were
awarded, and the witness said he had
not.
Want Harmless Error la,