Willmar tribune., 1915-02-17
HIGGINS OF THE Mp,
ON STAND FOR ROADS
Hearing May Be Extended
Over Another Month
Is Agreed.


placing on the stand ]. w. Higgins,
general manager Of the Missouri Pac-
itic Railroad, reputed one of the fore
most operating railway officials in the
United States. Mr.. Higgins was
looked upon by both sides Of the con-
troversy as the star witness for the
railroad companies. He was on the
stand the last two days of the wage
inquiry which adjourned Thursday
night over Friday, Lincoln's Birthday,
until Monday morning.
Typifying as he did the Western
railroad operating official, Mr. Hig-
gins was cross-examined at some
length by Warren S. Stone, Grand
Chief Engineer Of the engineers
brotherhood. Mr.. Higgins presented
an exhibit purporting to show the
growth in wages accruing to fremen
and engineers on four of the princi-
pal Western lines during the last thir-
ty or thirty-fve years. The lines were
the Chicago and Northwestern, C. N
& St. p, Missouri Pacific and North
ern Pacific. Throughout this testi-
mony General Higgins repeatedly de-
clared that he was more concerned
over certain rules in the railroad
schedules than he was regarding the
compensation engineers and firemen
have been or are receiving.
Naturally Mr.. Higgins said he felt
engineers and firemen are being re-
munerated sufficiently and deserve no
further raise but he declined to as
sent to the proposition that even the
highest paid engineers on select pas
senger runs do not deserve this re.
ward of long service and arduous
work. 1t remained for President Car
ter Of the firemen's brotherhood to
draw from the witness sentiments an
tagonistic to any plan that suggests
an eight-hour day or other benefits,
under which various trades and crafts
at present flourish.
At Thursdays hearing President
Carter asked Mr.. Higgins pointblank
if he would put the firemen and engi-
neers of the Missouri Pacific road of
which he is operating manager upon
an eight hour day, time and a half
pay for overtime, in exchange for the
abandonment by the brotherhoods of
their present request. There was an
hour or so of fencing on this delicate
topic but eventually Mr.. Carter gained
the advantage and drew a repeated
fire of denials from the witness. The
railroads want no eight hour day for
engineers and fremen. The idea is
obnoxious to them-This was the es-
sence of the testimony.
Illuminating this feature is the fol-
lowing dialougue taken from the stem
ographic report of the proceedings.
Mr.. Carter: Would you be willing,
if you were operating large terminal
railroad out here, to pay the engineers
who are operating those large switch
engines in the yard the same rate Of
wages that the carpenter is getting
for saving the board in two by the
side of the track?
Mr.. Higgins: No.
Mr.. Carter: Would you be willing,
to let that engineer work on the
same basis OF pay an eight hour day
and time and half overtime, just
like the carpenter who saws the
board?
Mr.. Higgins: On the straight hour
ly basis?
Mr.. Carter: Yes, on a straight hour
ly basis.
Mr. Higgins WE'LL that might be
considered. 1t would take a great
deal of consideration and negotiation
to determine on what basis-the car
penter gets a high hourly rate. He
has no guarantee of a minimum day
and he has no guarantee of months
work. He takes the work as it comes
l could not, therefore, agree with Mr.
Carter that I would be willing to put
a man who had assured daily work
and continuous work on the same rate
that a man received who is not guar
anteed those conditions.
Mr. Carter: Do you believe il
railroads should require ownership
by some means, of coal mines tha
the first thing they would do would be
to do away with the eight hour day
and time and a half in those mines
Mr.. Higgins:: I do not know o
any reason why they should.
Mr.. Carter: Do not machinists OF
some railroads work on an eight hou
day and time and half?
Mr.. Higgins: I presume they do.
Mr. Cartor. Fxcnnt for the add
tional expense, is there any reasol
why switch-engineers and switch fire
men should not be changed ofte1
enough to limit their work to eigh
hours, and pay them time and a half
Mr.. Higgins: There is no reaso1
for it, as I said before, that can see
Mr.. Carter: You would be willin
to do what they do in other industrie
where they have the eight hour day
would you not?
Mr.. Higgins: No, would not b
willing to put the engineer or fireman
or agree to put them on the basis
industrial trades.
A little later in the proceeding MI
Carter asked Mr.. Higgins that if tn
flremen on his road, after the arbitrs
tion award in this movement had bee
made, should come to him with
wage contract similar to that whic
the hod-carriers have in the City Q
Chicago, and should say to Mr.. Hie