The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-18
RAIL ROADS
RAILWAY ANSWER
Trainmen Now Highest Priced
Employees in Service.
Last Year Received % Per Cent
of Payroll Total.

Chicago, Ill, Feb 1.-THE execu-
tive committee of the Association of
Western Railways has issued the fol-
lowing statement:
Twelve hundred and twenty-one
dollars year was the average wage
paid to the engineers. firenen, con-
ductors and trainmen who are now
voting to authorize their officers to
present demands upon the railways
for a 25 per cent increase iii wages,
according to the latest statistics of
the Interstate Commerce commission,
for the year 1914.
When over 100000 men unite to de-
mand an increase in wages amounting
to $1,000 100000 year, and threaten to
strike unless they get it, the wages
they are now receiving in comparison
with those of other workers becomes
a point of especial interest. particu-
larry in view of the effect strike
would have on the millions who are
earning less than $1,000. The en-
gineers and the conductors are the
highest paid classes of railway en-
ployees. In 1914 the average daily
compensation of the 61,365 engineers
as reported by the commission was
1924 and of the 47,621 conductors,
SAT- The 64.335 firemen averaged
s322 a day and the 1858 other
trainmen averaged $500 IA day, these
two classes being exceeded only by the
engineers, the conductors and the ma
chinists, the machinists averaging
1927 a day.
The average daily compensation of
the 1925 general and other officers
was 1894 day, and all other classes
of railway employees the average
daily compensation was reported by
the commission as follows: All en-
ployees, $2.53: general office clerks,
$254; station agents, S2.33; other sta
ton men, $1.9S; carpenters, S2.6G;
other shopmen. $2.36; section fore
men, $2.20; other trackmen, Sl.59;
switchtenders. crossing tenders and
watchmen. S1.71; telegraph operators
and dispatchers, sass; all other en-
ployees and laborers, $2.21. THESE
are merely general averages, but they
are useful for comparative purposes.
Averages of such extremes as are
represented by the wages in railway
train service ranging from around
$500 a year for the green" brakeman
to nearly $4,000 a year for the highest
paid engineer. of course. give little
idea of the actual earnings of indiVld-
ual men. They indicate neither the
hours nor the number of days worked,
but the earnings of those who worked
anywhere near full time will greatly
exceed the averages.
While constituting IS per cent of
the number of railway employees. the
engineers, firemen, conductors and
trainmen received % per cent of the
total payroll of the railways in 1914.
Moreover, their average compensation
per day had increased in 10 years by
from 81 to 81 per cent, while that of
all employees had increased only %
per cent.
The total wages paid to the 30s,00O
engineers. firemen and conductors
and trainmen in 1914 aggregated
1897, 100000.
This is an average of 1921 per
year for each of the employees now
demanding a IS per cent advance,
which would be 1905 a year.
The railroads estimate that to grant
the 25 per cent increases asked by
the engine and train men would add
$100.0O0,O0O year to their operating
expenses. The total wages and sa
aries paid in 1914 by the railways Of
the United States amounted to ST.
| 373.422,47 of which S44.404.464 was
/ paid to the 1925 general and other
officers. many of which actually re-
ceived less than many engineers. fire
men and conductors. This leaves
| 1929. 01S,00S paid to 1.6S0,27S en-
/ ployees. To allow a 25 per cent adj
vance in wages to all of the employees,
therefore, would mean total increase
in wages of 1892. 264,502. AS the
wages of the other classes of en-
ployees now average considerably less
/ than those of the enginemen and
! trainmen the latter are certainly no
more entitled to an increase than the
other classes of employees.
An increase of S332.000.000 in
wages would be equal to about 10 per
cent of all the dividends paid by the
railways in 1914 to 622.0O stockhold-
ers. and to 80 per cent of the divi-
dends paid in 1913. Thirty-five per
cent of the stock in 1914 paid no div
idends at ALL