Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-04-12
TIE MANIFESTATION
CONTROVERSY now on

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CONTROVERSY now on
1rothsrhoods GIVE Out Arguments In
Favor Of an Eight Hour Day
for Fright Trains.
Cleveland. Ohio, April z. 1915.
The railroad Brotherhoods who are
asking for an eight hour day, claim that
it would be q great benefit to the pub.
lie who ship and receive freight.
Some Of their reasons are that in
these days Of keen competition and
quick changes Of styles in manufacture
ed goods. merchants are sadly handi-
capped by the fact that freight ship
ments are so slow that the styles
change and discounts are lost through
delay in receiving goods.
All merchants and most manufacture
ers try to buy in as small quantities
as possible and make quick turnovers
in their stock, but with slow freight
shipments 1t is impossible to do this.
Railroads in order to increase their
earnings per train miles. are loading
their every car that they can possibly
pull.
Trains are not made up at division or
terminal points until a sufficient number
Of loaded cars are accumulated in the
terminal to make up the full tonnage
of the locomotive. Cars containing
merchandise are held up at terminal
points until enough other cars show up
at that terminal point to make up q
long train.
When it is remembered that ship
NIX Vnrlr IN In
the middle west pass through from IS
to 20 terminal or division points, mean
ing delays at each point, it can readily
be seen how serious the aggregate of
time lost would be to merchants and
jobbers. When these long trains are
finally made up at each division point
they are loaded to full capacity and
drag along the road at snails pace.
The trains are so long that oftentimes
the sidings will not hold them and at
meeting points between two trains on
single track railroads more time is lost
by the trains having to saw" by.
Another factor of railroading today
is the fact that in these long trains
only cars that are in perfect condition
can be used. because Of the strain upon
the couplers and UNDERTAKING. which
result in pulled-out Drawbacks, broken
car frames, etc. This is one of the
reasons for car shortage, because, as
soon as the car begins to deteriorate,
it must be placed ON the side track
and taken out of service.
If trains were moved more rapidly
cars would reach their destination, be
unloaded and put back in service quick
er. The train crews in asking for a
basic eight hour day, means that freight
trains must make an average of 1917
miles per hour in order to avoid pay
ment Of overtime instead of the 10 miles
per hour as at present. There is no
demand for any change in the passen-
ger service freight.
Under the present ten hour day sys-
tenn there is no penalty for working a
man overtime, consequently. If train
crews are kept on the road longer than
ten hours there is no extra payment
made for overtime other than the reg.
ular payment per hour that the train
men got before the ten hours expired.
Under the present way Of paying for
overtime it Is Of little consequence TO
the railway companies whether they
work the crews ten hours or fifteen
hours and fifty minutes, as one more
car of freight added to the train will
more than make up for the wages paid
| the men by keeping them on the road
long hours.
If the demand for the men for an
eight hour day, with payment of time
and one-half for overtime, is granted
the railroads will see to it that there
is very little overtime and will move
their trains faster, and IL necessary
make shorter trains to get them over
the road quicker and cut out all un-
necessary delays.
It is claimed by some railroad off,
Gals that it Is impossible to make 100
miles at the rate Of 12h miles pei
hour, but this claim is Offset by the
fact that twentyfour railroads in the
United States are now on 12h miles per
hour basis and it Is important to know
that none of them are in the hands OF
receivers, which is good proof that ii
is not costing these railroads any con-
siderable amount to speed up their
trains and give their men an eight hour
day.
It is vital to the interests Of mer-
chants and manufacturers of this coun-
ty that merchandise be transported as
expeditiously as possible and the hours
saved in transportation means that the
merchandise gets in the hands Of the
consumers just so much sooner which
means more rapid turnover in stocks
and a greater consumption Of manufac.
| tured products.
If this thing of heavy and more pow
erful locomotives, cars Of greater cap
acity and longer trains reaches any
thing like the proportions predicted by
prominent railway officials, such as
Pres. Willard of the B. & o. railroad
the shipping merchandise will go back
| to what it was in the old days of the
prairie schooner and stage coach, as
far as time required in transportation
is concerned, as the tendency Of rail-
way operation Is toward increasing the
capacity of trains, regardless Of the
time required to move over the road.
The hours now lost in the slow move
ment Of freight, If saved, would mean
millions to the commercial interests OF
the United States.
This question of an eight hour day
for train crews should come right home
| to all shippers and receivers of freight