The sun., 1916-01-30
RAILROADS TO SHOW
HOW PAY INCREASED
Roth sides in Eight Hour Day
Controversy Will Seek
Public support.
DATA BEING COMPILED

Although the railroad labor situa-
,for az created by the present voting
y, tho four train service unions on the
ou,s,inn or eight hour demands Is not
,,o..od TO come to head for at
,o,s, a month. both sides to the antici-
,,,ed controversy are preparing ex-
r,ustiye statistical and other argu-
,rer,s IN enlist public opinion in their
ssnar,,e cases Both are planning an
s,ahoratc appeal TO public sympathy.
ps.ides this. whatever agency under
takes TO intervene in the coming dis
,,,,e will bc presented with the most
,,,,prchcnslve briefs ever compiled in
labor controversy between employ ers
AMI employees.
The railroad managers campaign es-
,c,ially will aim to show the unfairness
on the part Of the four unions in their
,on,cntion that they suffered in recent
sia,i years and therefore should share
,I the present prosperity OF the country.
A table Of yearly earnings OF engineers,
rr,rr,u. conductors and trainmen. COM
Tod from Government figures covering
,t, last five years. railroad officials
maintain. indicates an average increase
I'm wages amounting to $40. II II
maintained too that these statistics are
probably under the actual figures as con-
,aInod IN the railroad payrolls The
mos, recent detailed figures. according
IN tho companies, are found in the evil
acnce IN the 1915 arbitration in the
West,
.r,csc figures show the following
...rts. A>crag. monthly wages OF 20
a0O engineers. $50. aNerasC monthly
v.rr. ui .i.uU0 fircncn. 500: average
MONTH, earnings of engineers in pas
>crr,r service. Sl>o' IN freight service.
Slsi. in yard service, $3.50 average
monthly pay checks OF frcmen, sllB IN
passenger service. sos In freight and
81 in ward. Il il contcnded that three
ojsr,.rs of all Western engineers earn
rom Sl.5 80 s2.J month. and the
Same proportion Of nrcmen from S,j 10
81, = month. About one-siNth OF the
engineers. according To THE table. earn
,.Ward OF $500 month, and few
of the Older men OF the best runs carr
more than 81 500 year.
Tn. railroads of the country are now
operated on the basis of standard
freight run Of 100 miles, or ten hours
2. r I.f' ''NlA'liAi'Il w Nilf ihli 'u'
ayers that 10 change the basic day
10 lOo miles. or eight hours. as would
b. ~. ceSary IL tn. proposed demands
o. the tra.umen We're conceded. woulC
ucs'ssltatc one Of two courses. either o
which would entail enormous hardships
These alternatives as outlined yesterda,
Were.
First. cutting up the trains intc
smdl'r units putting on the road more
locomotives and crews and thus enor
mouS.N increasing the cost OF transporta
ton; second. rebuilding the railroads OF
shorter division units, "A reconstruction o
enormous initial cost which would enta.
permanent yearly burden on the publ,
, N higher transportation costs. The frs
course. II is stated. would mean giving NJ
'ho great benefits resulting from years o
APPLICATION of American genius to rail
road problems, namely. giving up III,
br units and resulting low costs. factor:
which H.,Ve made the American railroad.
III wonder of the world.
Finally il will bc one of the prncipa
ms ui the railroads 20 show that IL
great wage controversies such as are nov
anticipated the dispute is not really he
'Nt'' the employees and the railroads
nI' between the employees and the pub
3D.. because every cent 4 railroad income
comes uGt Of the pockets of the public.