Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1916-03-23
Can Cut Down Time.

If one train can be sent over divi-
sion OF say 140 or 1870 miles in eight
hours, there is no just reason why the
same class engine, with another Train,
should put in IA or 16 hours over the
same. course. Take, for instance,
crews on dead freight service, or what
is commonly called "slop freight
Out of "a hours they are often IA
hours on the road. They spend one
hour after they get in, washing up
and looking after the engine, anu
then are ready to go home to- wife ana
family, tired and sleepy. After eight
hours they are given two hour. cali
at the end OF the rest period to go an,
other IA or Is hour trip. These men
spend IL hours with their families,
which is not enough time to even ge
acquainted with them, as they have
practically no time at home.
Steady Grind.
These men know no day or night,
have no Sundays simply a stead,
grind, until they are worn out anu
have to lay off; and in many cases
this boon is refused. If these men were
! worked eight hours they would be
more competent Worqers on account
of having more rest, would 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 community's welfare, and
would, therefore, be more intelligent
/ voters. On the same basis the com
pany would be the gamer by always
/ 10 Cninu A1tU at
working periods, and would be less
| troubled by men asking for layoffs fol
the purpose of getting some rest. The
public would also be the gamer BY
getting quicker service on dead OF
"slop freight"
/ Fol. example, take car of bananas
shipped say from New Orleans to st
Louis, which goes through in Sc or 81
hours, while a car of dead freigh
would occupy almost three weeks get
ting the same distance; in othel
words, dead freight is moving in thu
United States on an average OF, abou
one mile per hour when it should move
practically as expeditiously as an.
other commodity.
Don't Want Overtime.
The statement has been repeated!
made that the men do not want al
eight hour day, but are simply afte
an increase in wages. This absurd
i statement has no basis in fact, .as thu
men do not want the overtinaey an
the only way to stop the working o
the men overtime is to put penalt!
on the use of overtime, so that thu
railroads would move trains more ex
piditiously and be more saving il
their use of the mems overtime work
Pay for overtime to the worker i:
blood money, and this money is made
after the man is worn out, needs
sleep and rest, and digs at his very
vitals, and makes him old before his
time.
Give railway train service men eigh
hours work, eight hours sleep and
eight hours to pass with their famil
les and they ask for no overtime and
no so-called exorbitant pay.
Relieve Car Shortage.
The manufacturers and shippers
are constantly brought face to-. face
with car shortages throughout the
United States, which condition is
largely brought about by. slow trans
portation of so-called dead freight
If cars loaded with this dead or SLOW
moving freight were handled more
rapidly to destination, unloaded and
returned to service, the company