Willmar tribune., 1915-01-27

Noteworthy exhibits were also Of
fered by D. B. Robertson, vice presi-
dent of the firemen's brotherhood,
who showed that various railroad Of
ficials, including Mr.. Park, had al
ready publicly announced themselves
in favor Of Standardization of wages
and Of basing the enginemen's CON-
pensation on weight on driving
wheels.
The two witnesses of the COM
panies who consumed the rest of the
week were D. H. Bremerman, of the
vice presidents Office of the Burling-
ton road, and j. H. Keefe, Assistant
General Manager Of the Gulf, Colo
RADIO and Santa Fe. Mr.. Bremen
mans advent on the scene was ac-
companied by the entrance of dozen
porters bearing huge books, each
weighing about thirty pounds, meas
uring 17x24 inches and comprising 326
pages. This ponderous tome was Of
fered by the companies with the
statement that it was the largest ex-
hibit ever compiled. 1t compared the
present schedule of rates and rules
of locomotive engineers and firemen
on different Western roads with those
in the East and Southeast, and then
compared each phase Of the sixteen
requests of the men with present pro-
visions and drew various conclusions.
Mr.. Bremerman was on the stand
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
having been cross-examined by Grand
| Chief Stone. However, Arbitrators
Burgess and Shea, brotherhood Off
cials, took a hand in questioning him
| and when the smoke had cleared
| away the brotherhoods claimed that
Exhibit No. of the companies in the
main proved that already many Wes-
tern railroads are granting the re-
quests the brotherhoods are making
: as to hours and pay and in many
! other respects.
Timothy Shea, vice president of the
| tiremen's brotherhood, also discover
ed various errors in Exhibit 1, one of
which was a discrepancy of 154 en-
gines on the Atchison road one year
| as against another. Mr.. Sheean at
tempted to explain this and so did Mr..
Bremerman, but the more they ex-
planned, apparently the deeper in the
mire they got.
Other advantages gained by the
brotherhoods from the companies
! first exhibit were: On Eastern roads
double overtime is paid, which IS
more than the Western employees are
asking for; payment Of enginemen on
| minute basis already is we'll estab-
lished; 14.S per cent of Western rail-
| road mileage in passenger service al
ready bases wages on weight-on-driv-
ing-wheels for engineers and for fire.
men 1875 per cent; in freight service
on over 20 per cent of Western mile
age engineers are paid on the basis
of weight-on-driving-w and fire.
men are compensated on over % per
cent of Western roads on the same
basis; on over 20 per cent of Western
| railroad mileage "assigned men" are
paid for days not used, including Sun
days, and on over 35 per cent Of the
roads these men are paid for working
on days not used; various through
freight schedules in Western territory
at present are higher than the broth.
erhoods ask; in passenger service on
over 13 per cent of Western mileage
the basis Of pay for engineers is 100
miles or less, five hours or less, and
over IL per cent of the roads do so
for passenger firemen.
In freight service on over "a per
cent of Western mileage the basis of
100 miles or less, ten hours or less,
already applies to engineers and the
same proportion to firemen; on over
33 per cent Of Western mileage, &C
cording to the companies exhibit
through freight rates to engineers ap
ply in pusher and helper service and
virtually the same as to firemen; pay
ment for initial and terminal delay