Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-28
RAILROADS SHOW
ALLEGED ERRORS
OF ENc|NEMEN
Increased Tonnage of Trains
Said to Decrease Mileage
on Which Pay Of Employees Is
Based Cost Of Freak Laws.

Chicago, Jan. 27-Statistics design
cd to show error in the contention Of
enginemen whose demands for higher
wages from western railroads are be-
ing arbitrated here, that Increased
tonnage hauled has reduced the mile
age on which their pay is based, We're
presented today. Laws imposing adj
ditional burdens on the railroads were
mentioned and recent alleged de-
creased earnings were emphasized By
J. II. keefe, assistant general mana
ger of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe
railroad. who continued on the wit
ness stand under questioning oy
James NJ. Sheean. attorney for the
railroads
Would Dust Negro Firemen.
In the course of the day Sheean
made the charge that w. S. Carter OF
counsel for the men. in seeking to IN
clude the Yazoo and Mississippi Nal-
lev railroad negro firemen III the de-
mands, was in effect making de-
mand which would result in the plac-
ing of white firemen in the places of
the negroes. At the same rate Of pay.
he asserted, the more competent
white men We're sure to be employed.
Carter replied that misuse of such an
lie disclaimed any such intention. Ne
groes are not eligible to membership
I'm the Brotherhood of Enginemen,
but the brotherhood claims TO be act
ing IN the arbitration for union ard
non-union men alike. Carter stated
that they believed in the open shop."
Effect of Heavier Engines.
Keefe's testimony was To the ef-
hi H.. in COS
enty-six trains out Of each hundred
run on western railroads, taken as
one great system, were running faster
than ten miles an hOur-thus en-
abling the men to receive more pay
than they would have on an hourly
basis of pay. Seventy-seyen trains
made this speed in October. 1913, This
was in freight service; passenger SER
vice remained unchanged, he said
Constructive mileage was not consld-
cred in his computations.
1t is almost a general rule among
railways to pay their enginemen by
the mile or by the hour. which ever
will give the men the most. By this
system a freight engineman's work
day consists of 100 miles or ten hours.
Thus If he makes his hundred miles
in less than ten hours his rate Of pay
Is in excess of what he would receive
by the hourly rate. Whether. In fact.
the runs are faster or slower than
formerly is admitted to be one Of the
most important points in the arbitra-
ton. Much testimony to the effect
that speed was now slower was intro
duced when the men were putting in
their evidence. While Keefe said that
freight service as a whole was some
what faster; local and way freights.
according to his comparative table.
was slower
Finance of Railroads.
Touching the financial conditions
OF the roads. keefe stated that inter-
est on funded debt of the western
railroads had increased s27 100000
since 1919. Despite increased mileage
operated he stated that the aggre-
gate dividends OF 1914 We're s22 ONO :
0e0 less than in 1910. The aggregate
surplus ne said, decreased $4,000.
wv income from sources other than
operation alone increased.
other statistics presented by Mr.
heeie showed that in the last four
years western railroads have been
made subject to 1851 orders of COM
missions ana municipalities while N
state legislatures. 1875 bills Of SINH
lar import have been presented of
which 20s became laws.
Warren s. Stone. of counsel for the /
enSinemen, glanelng down the list re-
marked that they cover every sub
Jeet from drinking cups to weedine
the right Of way.
AIR. Sheean explained that IL was