The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-03-25
RAILROAD UNIONS !.
ANSWER MANAGERS
Officials of Four Brotherhoods
Present Their Side of g.
Hour Movement.
SHORT DAY SCHEDULE
WILL BENEF1T PUBLIC
Freight Will Move Faster and Car
Shortages Will Be Les.
Likely.

The railroad companies have been
getting a lot of publicity lately about
the great injury that will be done to
them if their employees are given the
elght-hour day. Nut they are not
permitted to get away with their
claims without rehf ttal from the big
railroad unions whose officers this
week present the following state
ments to the public:
A great deal has been said about
the inability of the railroads to grant
the eigh-hour day to railway train
crews and switchmen, and as few
facts bearing upon the necessity Of Il
shorter work day are here presented.
The unit of wage payment is :lov
based on the moving Of rolling stock
100 miles per ten hours, or ten miles
per hour. The men are now asking
for eight hours, and time and one
hall Tor overtime after eight hours.
Both Will Benefit.
The railroad companies as we'll as
the public at large would be benefit
ed by the change. All trunk lines
centering in large terminals have So
called manifest freight, leaving these
terminals each night, hauling from
1000 to 1900 tons of freight, which
IS called fast freight service. These
trains travel over divisions up to lao
TO 24O miles on an average of an
elsht to eleven hour basis. In many
cases the so-called drag or dead
freight train leaving the same termi-
nal probably three hours ahead of
these manifest or fast freight trains
are passed on the road, and the fast
freight goes to it's destination in eight
or nine hours, while the dead freight
is often caught by the federal Is
hour law and has to tie up for eight
hours rest before getting into divi-
sion or terminal points.
The Real Issue.
IT one train can be sent over a
division Of say 40 or $50 miles: in
eight hours. there is no just reason
why the, same.zclass engine, with
another train. should put M Il or 1s.
hours over, the same course. Take,
Tor instance, crews on dead freight
service, or what is commonly calfsd
'slop freight" Out of - hours they
are often IA hours on the road. They
spend one hour. after they get in,
washing up and looking after. the en-
slne, and then are ready to go home
to wife and family, tired and sleepy.
After eight hours they. are given a
two-hour call at the end of the rest
period to go to another II or Is hour
trip These men spend 1 1-2 hours
With their families, which is not time
even to get acquainted with them, as
they have practically no time at
home.
Work All the Time.
These men know no day or night,
have no Sundays simply a steady
grind, until they are worn out and
have to lay off; and in many cases
this boon is refused. If these men
were worked eight hours they would
be more competent workers on ac-
count of having more rest, woild be
better citizens on account of having
more time to brighten their minds,
more time to study the economic
questions that are of vital Importance
to their own and the communities
welfare, and would, therefore, be
more intelligent voters. On the same
basis the company would be the gain
er by always having fresh man
going on duty at working periods, and
would be less troubled by men asking
for 1ayoffs for the purpose Of getting
some rest. The public would also be
the gamer by getting quicker service
on dead or "slop freight
That Dead Freight.
For example, take a car Of banan-
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