The labor world., 1916-05-13
RAILROAD S AGENTS
M|SREPRESENT FACTS
Local Brakeman Takes Issue
With Northern Pacific Mans
Statement,

The agents for the railroad COM
panies are greatly misrepresenting
the facts as to the earnings of rail-
road employees. Supt. w. H. Strachan,
in an interview in the Duluth Her.
aid, gave out a statement in which
he related the monthly earnings of
certain railroad employees. He did
not say anything about the number
Of miles covered by each employe
or the number Of hours each day the
employees were obliged to work to
earn the wages they were paid.
A well known local brakeman in a
letter to The Labor World answers
Mr.. Strachan as follows:
Permit me to make some COM
ments on the Duluth Herald's in
terview with Mr.. Strachan, superip-
tendent Of the Lake Superior division
Of the Northern Pacific, in which he
says railroad men are getting enough
money now.
when Mr.. Strachan gives a brake-
mans wage as $155 he has cited a
run which, on account Of his senior
ity, but few men on his division can
hold. And at the scheduled local
rate of 34.S cents per hour for a
brakeman, that brakeman working
15 hours and IS minutes every day
except Sundays Qocals as a rule do
not work Sundays), could only make
$143.63 in a 30-day month having
,, four Sundays.
''The best money ever made on
the Northern Pacific on local was
$119. The best that ever made in
chain gang on the same road was
$l12. Since then this chain gang
schedule has improved, but not their
local schedule.
| "One Walker was listed at 40 cents
| per hour. Mr.. Walker is a foreman
of an engine in yard service and
earns every cent of his money, keep
ing track of an engineer, two helpers
and the company's equipment all
night long (and part Of the next day
If the earnings Mr.. Strachan claims
he made are right). As rule a
switch crew puts in ten hours. That
would give Mr.. Walker 81 per day,
| Where does his job compare with a
carpenters, considering safety, work
ing nights and late midnight SUD-
per?
Below submit a summary Of nv
earnings, expenses and how nv time
was occupied from 1912 to 1915:
Warnings 1912, $977.64; expenses.
$77S.56; days made. 227: days lost
"a; days doubled road, s; days laying
OH, ~; days seeking employment, O..
Earnings 1913, $9s7.52; expenses.
$sS1.77; days made, 169; days lost.
~; days doubled road, 9; days 1ay-
Ing off, 8; days seeking employment,
| 107.
Earnings 1914. $445.se: expenses.
$559.2S; days made, 20; days lost,
155; days doubled road, O.: DAYS law
ing off, 8; days seeking employment.
1872.
Earnings 1915, $71s.s2; expenses.
$567.38; days made, 1870; days lost.
IL; days doubled road, %: DAYS law
ing off, 10; days seeking employment.
1876.
regarding my expenses, can saw 7
am neither spendthrift nor a ''booz-
err BY this you can see that % per
cent or time was lost-that is. no
time slip was made for that day.
For three years nv average dai1v
earnings were $2.16, and average
daily expenses were $2.O7, Wherein
is the large profit the officials saw
we make? Working night and day
IN Canada, where wc have no 16-
hour law to hinder us-getting right
out Of terminal Immediately on
our arrival-keeps a brakeman busy
making $17O month, and he only
does that once a year. Then how
can brakeman who is required by
law to take at least eight hours rest
after trip be able to make $155, or
SIS less than a man working as long
as he can and like?
"Mr: Strachanan would do well to
tell the people just how that $155
brakeman made it. How many hours
he worked. How many hours he was
on penalty time brassing or chaining
up cars and other work not Incl
dental to trip of train he was work.
ing on. BY the way, penalty time is
rare occurrence"