Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-04-27
BETTER SCHEDULE.
NOT wage RAISE,
TRA|NMEN DEMAND
w. p. Jackson Presents
Railroad Mems Side of
Controversy.
SAME SERVICE IN
EIGHT HOUR DAY
Speaker al Meeting Her, Last Nigh!
Shows That Granting OF Brother.
hoods demands VIII Not Incrca>e
Expenses OF Railroads,

| position of the claims OF the allied
lralnmens organizations was given
last night, at Shrincrs' temple, to a
crowd of about 200 local men and
women, by w. y. Jackson. chairman
Of the state Legislative board of the
| brotherhood o? Railroad Trainnen.
| 1t was the first open mcctin2 of III,
railroad men in this section. with the
avowed purpose Of informing thc oen
eral public of the employees side ot
the question which is now pending.
of an S-hour day or u y -mile-per-
| hour schedule for trainmen.
! These points were stressed bv MI.
jackson. and they were the KEYNOTE
Of his talk:
That a strike has never been agi-
| tated
That increased pay is not now be-
ing sought.
| That the men ask only an eight
hour day.
That they will cover Just as long
a run in eight hours as they do now
| in ten. the adjustment being in the
running time of the trains
| That the passenger service is not
affected, the movement having to do
with the freight service alone.
Charles J. CAN'T, chairman of the
local board. presided and introduced
Mr.. Jackson, who was heard atten-
lively, and whose talk Was often in
terrupted by bursts Of applause
The reports concerning demand
! for 40 per cent increase in wages
My TaCl.coD SOLD
railroad men asked only an eight
hour day. The railroad would get
the same mileage from the men-100
miles-in an cight-hour day that il
was now getting in ten. but would b.
required to advance the speed tive
and one-half miles an hour In 9th
err words the men sought II y mile
hour
"The railroads say such plan will
bankrupt Them the speaker said. -
would like to know Whv it has not a
| ready bankrupted the thirty railroad
that are operating under the eight
hour PLAN
Mr.. Jackson declared that the pub,
| lie should be interested because j
was to their advantage to have their
goods shipped two and one-half miles
an hour faster.
With the yard men il was propose
to have three shifts of eight hour
| each to do the work now done h.
two shifts. This would really mea"
saving of four hours time to the
| railroads, since it would eliminate
time taken Off for meals and at mid
night. ~.
Increase in Tonnage.
|. Mr.. Jackson assorted that tho rail
road officials are continually talkir
about increases in wages. but they d
not let the public know that there
has been constant and rapid in
crease in the tonnage hauled by acc
train thus making each train handlof
more than care for the increase j"
| the wages.
.''The average wages OF train III TIC
four brCtherhoods is Ssh" per year
he said. "and it is far below what i
should be. in proportion to the extr"
hazardous employment to which thev
are subjected"
He said that government statistics
showed that railroad emplove wa
hurt every nine minutes Of the day and
that one was killed every five hours
and seventeen minutes.
Not Enough DiSpat'ihfrs.
! Mr.. Jackson pointed out that Their"
are not enough dispatchcrs employees
by the roads. to properly get the
trains over the road Often, he said
a train and its crew is compelled y
wait from &c minutes to an hour Ia
get orders, merely because the dis
patcher is doing something else. Thi'
is one of the principal causes OF fhH
complaint of the trainmen. he SAID
With a full and competent crew CT
dispatchers. and trains of a reason
able tonnage, it will be no trouble TO
move trains 1919 miles per hour. or
to make the run OF 100 miles II
| eight hours, or to cover an entire
division of $50 miles in II hours
and that. he said, is all the trainmen
are asking.
Mr.. Jackson emphasized the poin'
| that the tlainmen inserted the time
and half for overtime clause IN
their demand. as penalty agalns'
the roads for failing to maintain the
1917 mile per hour schedule. what
the trainmen actually want, he sald
| is to complete their days work IN
the run assigned them. II eight hours
if a 1OO-mile run, or II hours IT 1t is
the usual division run OF approx
mately $50 miles. Proper dispatchins
end making up trains that are not
overloaded with tonnage. will easily
allow of this. he said.
Te told of the old fight for the 16-
hour law, for safety appliances and
other improvements. all OF which
brought the same Cry from the roads,
that the roads would be bankrupted.
Then he switched to discussion OF
number of instances OF ALLEGED
grating" and high finance" by high
railroad officials. as disclosed. he
! said, during government investiga-
lions into a number of the big trunk
systems.
N1,. Iaolzcor, 1an,a f,.nnl [ Title Rn1 X