The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-04-29
Another RAILROAD :
CHARGE ANSWERED
Advances In Operating Costs Not
Due to Increase In Train
mems Wages.
ADD TO TRAIN LOADS
MORE THAN WAGE RAISE
~ Soc. ~ Statistics Used By Rail.
'''r lions to Discredit
Managers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, April a.
Any advances in operating costs of
the railroads have not been due to
added outlays to transportation en-
plOyes. Train and engine crews have
given to the Transportation companies
more than they have received in in
creased rates Of pay. This fact is
clearly shown by the reports of the
railroads themselves to their stock
holders and to the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Although engin-
GERS, firemen, conductors and trainmen
have received some advances in rates
of pay during recent years, they have
had to work harder and have handled
more traffic each year for each dollar
Of additional compensation received.
They Are Pieceworkers.
Transportation employees are piece
workers. They are engaged in hand
ling freight and passenger traffic. The
requirement for a standard days
work is to haul so many tons of
frelgha or so many passengers 100
miles. If the weight of a freight
train is increased the cost to the rail-
roads in handling each ton of freight
1VV 1ulleS IS less.
The constant increasing of train
loads has been the predominant fac
tor in recent railway operating pro-
gress. The growth in weight of trains
has been more rapid than the ad-
Vances in rates of pay to transporta-
ton employees. Engine and train
crews have transported proportion
ately greater volume of freight than
they have received increases in wages.
AS a consequence, the labor cost to
the railroads of engine and train
crews has decreased.
Labor Cost Is Less.
During the course of the recent ar
bitration between the Western rail-
roads and their engineers and firemen,
it was shown that the proportion of
total operating expenses arising from
payments to transportation employees
was IA per cent less in 1913 than in
1890. In 1913 it was also shown that
wage payments to transportation en-
ployes required only 19 cents out of
each dollar of revenue earned by
western railrOade in 1913 as compared
With Fl cents out of each dollar of
revenue in 1890. When considered on
the basis of freight tonnage, it was
found that it cost the railroads for
wages to locomotive engineers and
tiremen 65 cents for each 1000 tons
carried one mile in 1890, while, in
1913, engineers and firemen transpor-
ted 1000 tons a mile for only 33 cents,
decrease of cost to the railroads for
these employees alone, during this
period of slightly more than SO per
cent. It was also shown further by
exhibits submitted during the Western
Arbitration that during the more re-
cent years, 1900-1913, the cost to the
transportation companies for wages of
engineers and firemen decreased ~
per cent for each 1000 tons of freight
hauled one mile.
1t is apparent from these facts that
the productive efficiency of transport
tation employees has increased faster
than their rates of pay. To produce
these results for the railroads they
have had to work excessive hours.
The present movement for an eight
hour day is, therefore, reasonable
request by transportation employees to
participate in the results of their own
labor, not primarily in terms of dol
lars and cents but in form of a shorter
work day.