The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-06-19

IN NEW YORK
No SOLUTION
+. E. TAYLOR OF SANTA FE SAYS
GREAT QUESTIONS BETWEEN
EMPLOYEES AND RAILWAYS ARE
STILL PENDING.

Recent press dispatches indicate
that the conference in New York, re
gardlng the eight hour day, has not
resulted in solution of the problem, "
said f. r. Taylor, Division Superin
tendent of the Santa Fe at Cleburne
who is in town for brief business
trip.
Most everyone said Mr.. A,ylor
is already familiar with the matters
IN controversy The most important
OF the mems demands are those
winch embrace the so-called eight
hour day, with time and one-half
for overtime. 1t Is incorrect to call
the movement one for an eight hour
day. The demands read 100 miles
or less, eight hours or less, shall
constitute a day and provide that all
time in excess of eight hours shall
be paid at the rate of time and one
half. Under this rule il would he
necessary to pay full day for only
two or three hours work The pre-
sent schedule basis is ten hours or
less, 100 miles or less for day with
overtime thereafter at prorata rate,
which again does not mean ten hours
work for days pay; it will readily
be seen that the effect of the pro-
posed change would simply be to in
crease the pay of the men. For sake
OF Illustration, take the case of any
100 mile run requiring ten hours:
under present schedules one days
pay is allowed-under the proposed
schedules one days pay would be al
lowed, plus two hours overtime at the
rate of one and one-half times the
new and higher hourly rate. If it re-
quires ten hours for a freight train
to go from Pauls Valley to Gaines
vile under the present contract, it
is obvious that it will require the
same length of time tomorrow or any
other day after the new eight hour
basis shall have gone into effect.
Certainly the substitution of the word
eight for "ten" in the printed CON
tract is not going to result in getting
trains over the road any faster; con-
sequently ne contention of the train
men thai ~ grant that which they
ask will not cause any increased out |
lay by the railroads, is to say the |
east not warranted by the facts. In
iications all point to the fact that
he men are anxious, not to work |
ess hours per day, but to earn more
money for working the same number
If hours.
They try to show us that there |
will be no increased expense to the
'ailroads, by alleging that it will
simply be necessary to speed up the |
rains from ten to twelve and one
lalf miles per hour and thus get them
'ver the road in eight hours instead
# ten. They admit, however, that
o do this will require the railroads
o tighten their tonnage of trains so
hat they can run faster, thereby
ausing more trains and obviously a
reater cost. 1t is also alleged that
he schedule of IL 1-2 miles per hour
n lieu of ten miles, will be of bene-
t to the merchant in that it will
nable him to get his goods from the
larket and thereby carry smaller
tock on hand. 1t is pointed out,
owever, that lighter, faster and
lore numerous trains will result in
greater number of delays to those
aims by reason of the more numer-
Us points at which they will have to
leet and pass other trains and were
entirely feasible to attempt this
IAN, 1t is felt that the result would
2 to delay trains sufficiently to off
t any advantage that might be
iined by running them at faster
,eed.
Another favorite argument of the
en- is to allege that their produc-
We efficiency has vastly increased
recent years. They claim credit
r the increased tonnage per train,
rgetting that the heavier trains of Y
day really require less of the men