The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-28
THEIR view POINT.
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every one hundred engineers promoted,
exceedingly few enter the cab Of a loco
motive as u regular passenger engineer,
and not many become a regular freight
engineer, thus Indicating the terrible
rate at which the work of selection cuts
into the great numbers of men who seek
employment on locomotives.
This rapid work of elimination ID
brought about by the exacting physical
examinations that men working in en-
CINE service are subjected to. together
with the large per cent that are killed
ard MANNED, and those who find them
selves unable to Withstand the hard
ships and exposures Of the service.
Increased responsibilities have piled
upon the engineman in proportion to
the sizes and weights of engines and
trains and further exactiOns by way OF
improved safety appliances which have
also added to the labor and RESPONSE
bility of the engineman- With the ad-
vent of the block signal. and other ap-
planes. many railroads have intro
duced a system Of surprise tests that
add materially to the already nerve
racking work Of enginemen. In this
connection it should be understood that
enginemen do not object to such prac-
tical tests as will demonstrate their ef-
ficiency and their desire to observe the
rules.
Increased Burdens and Cost Living.
These increased burdens, together
with the greatly increased cost OF liv-
ing. were the causes that induced the
enginemen in the Western Territory to
make certain requests upon the Mana
gers of the Western Railroads. These
requests carried moderate increases In
rates and some improvement in work
ing rules that have for their purpose
the s--..--. lization of wages and work.
;- vhfc H m "a
visions and additions to the present
schedule and rules governing engine
men in the Western Territory. When
these requests were submitted to the
managers of Western railroads, instead
of meeting their enginemen and hand
ling these requests as had been the
| custom in the past, they terminated al
agreements in the Western Territory
and submitted a contemporaries
that had for its purpose the complete
revolution of the system of compensa'
tion and the rules governing the hand.
ling Of men that had required moro
than thirty years to build up.
THE committee of enginemen me
the committee OF general managers II
| early February and several months o
conference followed. in which tn
propositions Of both sides were dis
eral managers committee was no
only unwilling to grant single re
quest made by the enginemen. blu
were SO fnsistent upon enforcing thei
obnoxious rules that there was nothin
left to do but to break on negotiation
and place the whole matter before tn
| enginemen and ascertain throug
their expressed vote their acceptanc
} or rejection OF the proposition Of tn
general managers committee. Thi
having been done. the vote Of the me
, Ii practically unanimous in their n
lection OF the general managers pror
osition.
81 DepIore Strike.
Much az locomotive enginemen do
plore a strike. they gave this unan
nous expression in the honest belle
that the very life OF their organixatio
and the wages and conditions thu
had required thirty years to build q
81 was sat Stake. and that this etx1ke ~