Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1916-05-11
BEST PAID men
ARE NOW ASKING
FOR HIGHER PAY
Government officials Fail To Find
Justice In Demands OF Train Ser
vice Employees.
BY Judson C. Weilver in The Wash.
ington Times.


thorities in Washington are taking a
distinctly different views of the pres
ent effort of railway trainmen to
compel an advancement in their
wages. from any that has been taken
on former occasions.
1t is very apparent that the case
for the employees seeking higher
wages is viewed with less amiability
than ordinarily In legislative cir
cles there has recently been serious
talk of legislation to prohibit strikes
by employees of interstate carriers,
and to provide a procedure for COM
pulsory arbitration.
The impression has gained good
deal of ground, that certain favored
classes of employees have for a long
time been Systematically aggregating
70 themselves most of the increases
In wages.
Highest Paid Glass OF Men
On behalf OF the enginemen and
trainmen who are making the de-
mand for a large wage increase, II is
urged that the higher cost Of living
justlfes their demand Yet these
men, the engineers. firemen. conduc.
tors and brakemen, are the highest
paid classes of railroad labor. The
question being asked why an engineer
getting an average wage In 1918 of
$500, should require an increase,
while trackmen. who were getting
sl.5S per day should be left out?
Again. the average wage of conduc.
tors in 1918 is shown by the statistics
Of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to have been si39 per day At
the same time. telegraph operators
and dispatchers were getting an aver
age wage Of s252 per day.
II the increased cost OF living for
the s439 conductor necessitates a
large increase in his compensation,
where does the S2.52 dispatcher come
In?
No demand is being urged on be-
half Of the operators and dispatchers,
and some Of the railroads have lately
been intimating vigorously that II a
big additional burden must be laid
on their labor funds they would like
to give the benefit TO the poorer paid
classes of employees
The truth of the whole Business Is
that. as a whole. the railroad en-
ployes Of the country are not very
highly paid as compared 10 other PEG
pie. a few classes Of railroad men
are paid very hich wages. The most
fortunate Of all these classes are the
engineers, GremeE, conductors and
brakemen.
Rate Rising Rapidly
Not only are these four classes paid
much more literally than other eth.
pioyes. but the figures show that
their rate Of WAGES has been rising
more rapidly than that OF any other
classes.
In 1914 the Interstate Commerce
Commissions report showed the nun.
Der Of railroad employees for the en-.
tire country 10 be l.7lO.29G out Of
this number there were G2.o2l en-.
gineers. Ci,959 Gremon, i,.2yl con
duc,ors. and 1860 other tralnmen;
a total Of 1890. or Just about one
sixth of the entire number
At that same date. the number OF
trsckmen. exclusive Of forem'n, was
337.iji. That Is. the number Of com.
mon laborers on the section was
greater than the entire roll Of en-.
gineers, hremen, conductors, and
brakemen. Yet this huge army oil
trackmen was working for an aver
age wage Of sl.5S per day. while en-.
sineers were getting $500. firemen
were getting S213. conductors were
getting sac. and other trRinmen
we're getting S3Oi. These figures are
the commissions averages for the en-.
tire country.
Condition 6ettered
Largely because they are the best
organized classes or railway workers
and have been unremltting IN their
demands for better wages. these four
classes have succeeded in lettering
their condition rapidly and regularly,
at the expense OF the other classes.
which are not SO highly organized.
The trainmen. whenever they insist
on wage Increase. have. on their
side. the tremendously potent argu.
mcnt that II they don't get what they
ask, they can walk out and tie up the
whole railroad system. No other
class Of employees could do this. be.
cause no other Is so instantly indls.
pensable
How effectively the four favored
classes have used their power A.. a.
shown by the cold figures In the
ten years from 1903 to 1912, inclusive.
the salaries OF general officers IN.
creased an average OF IL per cent.
In that same tenyear period the
salaries OF engineers increased 81
per cent.
During those same ten years the
vvges'd general ogco clerks increas.
cd 10 per cent, while the wages of
hremen increased 80 per cent.
During those same ten years the