The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1915-04-10
ENGINEERS and
FIREMEN'S WAGE
MOvEMENT--I9I4-I


O00,0 q year, James M. Sheean,
attorney for the railroads, cited
with telling effect the following
statement made by Grand Chief
Stone of the Brotherhood Of the
Locomotive Engineers, before the
Eastern arbitration board In 1910:
"Gentlemen, there is no good
reason why q man should go out
of the yards in Chicago with the
same class OF engine and start
West for S5 40. with 1,S00 tons,
aud take the Same engine from
the Lake Shore yards and start
East with $500 tons for ~ So"
ave fully concur in this state.
ment of Mr.. Stone," said Mr..
Sheeap, "alihough be has not re
peated 1t in the proceeding"
Mr.. Sbeean had pointed out to
the board that the employees,
while claiming to desire standar.
dization Of rules and rates were
unwilling to adopt . single basis
for determining the tractive power
of engines either by the size Of
cylinders or by the weight of en-.
gine on drivers. Either method,
Mr.. SheeaD said. would be salts.
factory TO the railroads.
Don't you think IL standard
measure of the weight Of locomo.
tives could be established, 1t
would be better for the men and
the railroads to remove that sore
epotV asked Hon. J. O. Pritchard,
chairman Of the board.
"That was the belief OF the
railroad committee" replied Mr.
Sheean. "endeavorlDg to have
open for consideration each and
every item Of compensation, so
that the board of arbitration
might in future take step to-
ward uniformity. 1t was and is
our object and belief that uplfor'
nifty, so far az 1t is possible, is a
desirable process. But the men
should not aim to obtain the ad-
vantages tn be derived by the
adoption Of one method, and still
cling to the inequities of another
method"
"Do you mean that the men
will try to retain their highest
rates of pay at present under the
saving clausei" asked Arbitrator
Burgess, assistant grand chief OF
the locomotive engineers.
Eyes," said Sheean. "For ex
ample, under the cylinder meas
urement basis Of wages man on
q certain engine gets $3 10 pei
day. IL paid according to weight
on drivers Of the Same engine, the
| man would earn t3 25 q day. He
| will cling to the &3. 75, even II the
| weight on drivers basis be adopt
| ed for future wages"
aUan this board make an award
which will eliminate snch inequi.
ties without reducing the rate ol
pay Of employees, IN accordance
with the terms Of this arbritra
tioni" asked Charles Nagel, for
merly Secretary Of Commerce and
Labor.
| 1.-THE board can do 40 by de
clariDg that Its award, fixing
weight on drivers as the sole basis
of rates, shall be effective only
upon the railroads whose EN-
ployees accept that classification,
replied Mr.. Sheean. "rhis would
not reduce any rates II the mer
prefer to keep what they now
have, rather than adopt the stand
ard classification of weight or
| drivers. It never has been tht
intention Of the railroads to force
n any man q reduction In pay,
Il 10 for the men to elect whether
the cylinder or weight classifica'
tion OF engines shall be adopted
Neither is absolutely accurate,
hut one is probably a. fair as ths
other. The present schedules Gre
built on the cylinder basis" !"
Mr. Hheean pointed out that II
the demands Of the men for in
creased wages in "pusher ant
helper service" were granted, thu
wages Of engineers and firemel
would be increased to maximum
/ Of $50 per cent. Engineers VIII
Tor 20 minutes help push staltet
train out Of y freight yard wonlt
receive pay for the full 10 hours
though actually working bu
twenty minutes.
| Another demand of the em
ployres covering what il know
40 the automatic release and tie
lupp provides that "eDgiDeers ant
firemeD, arriving at terminal Q
eud of run, are automatically re
| leased; when used again they be
| gin q new day." Mr.. Sheean de
unonstrated the injustice of thf
demand by showing that il It ha'
been ID effect in October, 1915
one engineer on the Gulf, Colors
Il do & Santa Fe Railway w0ul