Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-08-10
1!vNHAr THE TRAIN
MEN DEMAND.

/
The railway managers arc.
flooding the country with pub
;licity regarding the increase in
wages" that is being demanded by
the members OF The four railway
brOtherhOods who are engaged i'm
actual handling OF trains. II seems
he railroad managers cannot
make an honest presentation of
this issue amy more than they can
of the rate question. the question
of their valuation. or their inside
4 financing.
The railway employees are not
asking for an advance of wages.
I'm fact they are asking for the
adoption Of a plan that will de-
crease The income of MANY of
them. They are asking for an
Il elght-hour day. instead OF being
compelled To stay ouI on he road
i from i2 to 1 6 hours.
II Their argument i'm favor of
this change is reasonable. They
say that passenger trainmen and
fast freight trainmen would not
he materially affected by such a
rule as few of them arc now on
the road more than eight hours.
The men who would he affected
are he lrainmcn who handle
dead : freight trains. These mon
are on the road usually The limit
permitted by the federal laws
rs huurS--and, often longer than
thai, before they gel back to their
homes. Their expenses on the
road must come out of their own
wages.
The greatest evil. however. is
The physical and mental effect
upon mon working thai irnnlh ol
time. II needs no argument Ia
prove that after eight or Ton hours
icontnuOls strain. one 5 physica
land mental activities gel sluggish.
VI is during these periods. say
trainmen. thai wrecks most fro
quently occur. and then the rail
road management blame ii ON la
the 'rulelrssncss" of the railroad
employees.
Even the Traveller i'm The Pull
man gels tired after q O-hou!
ride during he dav. But The man
i'm The engine cab must keep fresh
he must keep his mental aclivi-
lies keen for he must see every
signal, keep i'm mind every order
and when he enters a railroad
yard must know just what every
one of all The way from 80 To BOO
switch, signal and block light
mean. and il they are as they
should be o guarantees him Il
clear track. Yrl eye fatigue is
one of the first symptoms and re
suits of long hours of work, anl
mental dizziness comes a rlos'
second. Safely first for Tho
travelling public demands thai
men ON railroads be moi over
worked.
There is vel another side-OnC
which effects the commercial side
of railroadng. Why arc SOM!
some freight trains handled Will
such speed that men who handle
them arc NOT ON their runs over
eight hours. while other freight
trains hauled with The same class
| Of motive power and Oyrr TN,
! same righi-of-way. are IA to u
! hours clearing one division? WHY
is a carload of fruit from go ID
) - hours coming from New Or
} leans To Sioux City. while a car
7 load of other freight is three To
!. four weeks?
Trainmcn say the railroads 81
overload dead freight trains
that they cannot make their time
!. This is done in order to increase
. the railroad : profit This is VIII,
the lrainmrn who handle these
trains must clay out ON sidings
and al way stations. and be on
their rum 4 to lG hours.
| Trainmen also offer the hint To
the shipper that if the eight -ho1m
7 law goes into effect. il will solve
the freight car famine to a ereal
extent. Railroads Will then speed
up their freish! schedule i'm order
TO avoid overtime wages. anl
freight ears will be rushed to lhril
destination and unloaded inslra,
of ding -donging along on ihd
road for weeks. Sioux City Trih-
une.