The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-03-24
STATEMENT
ISSUED by Four Great Railway En-
pIOyees' Organizations, Pre-.
sentlng Their Side Of the
Eight.HOur Move.
Cleveland, O.. March 30, 1916.

Editor Public Ledger:
A great deal has been said about the
inability of the railroads to grant the
eight-hour day to railway train crews
and switchmen, and a few facts bear
ing upon the necessity of a shorter
work day are here presented:
The unit of wage payments is now
based on the moving of rolling stock
100 miles per ten-hours, or ten miles
per hour. The men are now asking
for eight hours or twelve and a half
miles per hour, 100 miles in eight
hours, and time and one-half for over
time after eight hours.
The railroad companies as well as
the public at large would be benefited
by the change. All trunk lines CEN
tering in large terminals have social
ed manifest freight, leaving these ter
minals each night, hauling from 1000
to 1,2OO tons of freight, which is called
fast freight service. These trains
travel over divisions up to 40 to 240
miles on an average of an eight to
eleven hour basis. In many cases the
so-called drag or dead freight train
leaving the same terminal probably
three hours ahead of these manifest
or fast freight trains, are passed on
the road, and the fast freight goes to
destination in eight or nine hours,
while the dead freight is often caught
by the federal siXteen-hour law and
has to tie up for eight hours rest be-
fore getting into division or terminal
points.
If one train can be sent over a di-
vision of say 140 or $50 miles in eight
hours, there is no just reason why the
same class engine, with another train
should put in fourteen to sixteen hours
over the same course Take, for in
stance, crews on dead freight service
or what is commonly called "slop
freight" Out of twenty-four hours
they are often fourteen hours on the
road. They spent one hour after they
get in, washing up and looking after
the engine. and then are ready to go
home to wife and family, tired and
sleepy. After eight hours they are
given two-hour call at the end of the
rest period to go another fourteen or
fifteen hour trip. These men spend
one and a half hours with their fam
lilies, which is not enough time to
even get acquainted with them, as
they have practically no time at home.
These men know no day or night,
have no Sundays,-simply a steady
grind, until they are worn out and
have TO lay off; and in many cases
this boon is refused. If these men
were worked eight hours they would
be more competent workers on ac-
count of having more rest, would be
better citizens on account of having
more time to brighten their minds;
more time to study the economic ques-
tons that are of vital importance to-
their own and the communities well
fare, and would, therefore, be more in
telligent voters. On the same basis
the company would be the gamer by
always having a fresh man going on
duty at working periods, and would
be less troubled by men asking for
layoffs for the purpose of getting some
rest. The public would also be the
gamer by getting quicker service on
dead or "slop freight"
For example, take a car of bananas,
shipped, say, from New Orleans to st.
Louis, which goes through in thirty
six or thirty-eight hours, while a car
of dead freight would occupy almost
three weeks getting the same dis
lance; in other words, dead freight
is moving in the United States on an
average of about one mile per hour
when ii should move practically as ex-
peditiously as any other commodity.
The statement has been repeatedly
made that the men do want an eight
hour day, but are simply after an in
crease In wages. This absurd state
ment has no basis in fact, as the men
do not want the overtime, and the only
way to stop the working OF the men
overtime is to put penalty on the use
OF overtime, so that the railroads
would move trains more expeditions
ly and be more saving In their use of
the mems overtime work Pay foI
overtime TO the worker is blood
money, as this money is made after
the man is worn out, needs sleep and
rest, and digs at his very vitals. and
makes him old before his time.
Give railway train service men
eight hours work, eight hours sleep
and eight hours to pass with their
families and they ask for no overtime
and no so-called exorbitant pay.
The manufacturers and shippers are
constantly brought face 10 face with
car shortages throughout the United