The bee., 1916-06-09

NlIInaa-...-----r---ss-l -
fact about railway wages that oughi
not 70 escape attention. There were
total Of 37,S73 employees classified
as switch tenders, crossing tenders
and watchmen. These we're receiv
ing in 1912 an average OF S1.7O pei
day. which was actually 6 cents q
day less than they had been receiv
ing ten years earlier.
At that time there we're 4S,2O1 con.
ductors with whom the statistics
dealt. The conductors, therefore
we're only a slightly more numer.
GUS class than the tenders and watch.
men; yet, while the conductors had
had their wages raised from $S.SS to
1929 per day, the less fortunate
class Of tenders and watchmen had
to stand a reduction from SIG to
S1.70 per day.
If the cost of living has been stead.
lily advancing for conductors. 90 as to
justify an increase Of % per cent in
their wages, it seems difficult to ex.
plain why that same cost of living
should have fallen sufficiently to war
rant decrease Of 3 per cent in the
wages of switch tenders, crossing
tenders, and watchmen.
Take the single classification of
general office clerks. There were
S7,1O6 of these according to the Of
fetal report. A much larger number
than of either engineers, fremen, or
conductors.
These general office clerks we're
paid an average of 1921 per day in
1908, and of $3.50 in 1912: an in
crease of only 10 per cent in the ten
year period.
General office CLERKS, without ex-
eeption, are compelled to live in
cities, where the cost Of living is
high.
Engineers Better off
Engineers, on the other hand, are
distributed between large towns and
small towns; on the average, their
living circumstances ought to make
their expenses average considerably
less than those of office clerks, yet
the statistics show that engineers
have received in the ten-year period
an increase of "a per cent in their
wages, making them average exactly
IS per day, while general office
clerks have received an increase Of
only 13 per cent making them aver
age $3.50 per day.
One Of the worst underpaid classi.
ications Of railway employees is that
of the station agents. There are Just
about 10000 Of these in the country.
or nearly as many as the number of
conductors.
In 1903 station agents averaged
$3.50 a day. and in 1912 they had
been raised to only 1920 a day, while
in that same time conductors had
advanced from $33S to $42O.
That is, the station agent in 1912
was getting just about half the wages
of the conductor, and in ten years he
had had an average increase Of II
per cent, while the conductors ini.
crease had been 27 per cent.
Here are two of the most numer-
GUS classes Of railway employees:
other than engineers,
hremen, and conductors, numbered
136,S09, while trackmen numbered
SS7,451. The statistics show that the
trackmen were getting in 1908 an
average of $1.S1 per day, and in 1912
an average Of $3.50 per day, an in
crease of IA per cent.
What Others Got
On the other hand, the classifica-
tion of other trainmen was getting in
1903 $2.17 per day, and in 1912, S296
per day, an increase Of SO per cent.
In percentage, this is the largest ad- !
vance received by any single class of
railway employees during this decade. !
A general survey of wage condi- !
lions in the railway service and in !
other industries, it is believed. would !
show that in the last fifteen years
he highly organized and favored |
Of railway wage earners have |
had their incomes increased more
han almost any other class of work |
Prs in the country, while the much !
more numerous, but less effectively /
organized classes of railway workers
nave probably received rather less
Increases than other industrial work.
srs in general.
In view of the strong feeling that |
hese most fortunate classes Of the |
railway employees are now making
and unreasonable demands, !
attention is now being called as |
never before to these general dis |
There is a strong dis |
)osition to inaugurate a general and |