Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-02-11
What Railroad
Engineers Earn

Engineers on western railroads
now receive maximum earnings al
most 500 per month in excess of the
maximum compensation paid captains
of the largest transatlantic grey
hounds.
Rates of pay received by captains
of transatlantic and trans-Pacific
steamers and other chief officers in
steamboat service on oceans and
Great Lakes were introduced before
the federal board of arbitration in
Chicago by the western railways to
show the excessive pay these en-
gineers and firemen are already re-
ceiving in comparison with many re-
sponsible positions in water trans
portation. The exhibit was the result
of request OF one of the arbitrators
for such a comparison.
Engineers on western roads now
actually receive as high as 1858 per
month and $3,725 per year, while
firemen already receive as high as
1921 per month and $3.50 per year.
They are demanding increased wages
which would involve an additional ex-
pense of almost $41,O0O,00O yearly
to the roads. ]. H. Keefe, assistant
general manager of the Gulf, Colo
rado & Santa Fe Railway, of Calves
ton, Texas, introduced this exhibit.
Captains of steamers in the trans
Atlantic or trans-Pacific SERVICE"
said Mr. Keefe, "are paid a maximum
of $275 month, but against this the
maximum earnings in the month of
October, 1913, for engineers in SER
vice on the western railways reached
1858. The minimum pay for captains
in transatlantic or trans-Pacific SER
vice is $140. The average earnings
of an engineer on these western rail-
ways is $165 a month, against which
the chief engineer of these ocean-go-
ing steamers averaged about $3.50,
and the chief engineer is a master
mechanic who must understand all
details of his vast machinery and be
able to repair it at sea-"
Earnings of $3.50 for a day of
only seven hours, bringing the
monthly average earnings to almost
1884, measured the average compen-
sation in October, 1918, paid all en-
gineers in passenger service on these
railways. The average earnings of
passenger engineers equaled SLIP
per hour.
AS concrete evidence of the present
liberal compensation going to en-
gineers, this was placed before the
arbitrators by the railways in a gen
eral usmmary of the detailed payrolls
of over $4,000 employees in engine
service, which already had been
placed before the board, as evidence
that the men are now paid enough.
Only slightly less were shown to
be the earnings of the engineers in
through or irregular freight service,
who averaged 1884 per day and
$170.02 per month, while engineers
in local or way freight service earned
$7.16 per day and $172.40 per month.
Firemen in passenger service were
shown to average $4.96 per day and
$115.53 per month, while those in
through or irregular freight service
averaged $4.99 per day and $110.25
per month and those in local or way
freight service averaged $3.50 per
day and $105.59 per month.
One engineer in this single month
actually earned $341.60 in passenger
service, while another in freight ser
vice actually earned $35S.70.. One
fireman in passenger service actually
earned $2O9.S9, while in freight SER
vice one fireman actually earned
$221.05.
with the earnings of these men
on their present basis of pay, as COM
pared with the earnings of men in
train service, shop service or station
service" testified Mr.. Keefe, there
is no escape from the contention that
the present wages and rates of pay
and working conditions are full, am
pie and commensurate with the SER
vice performed.
"There were a number of engineers
and firemen as we'll as hostlers who
could have earned even more, had
they availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity presented by the companies for
earning wages. We have not under
taken to show whether or not these
men we're available for duty the en-
tire day. This unquestionably works
to the disadvantage of the companies
and shows the average earnings UP
as less than they really are, yet the
result is the manifestly high wages
already detailed"
OF all the engineers in passenger
service in the month of October
1918, the summary showed 4,47S
earned $3.50 or over per month. Ol