The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-09-23
ADvERTTsTHG)
THE EIGHT-HOUR DAY
and
President Woodrow Wilson

engine The saving clause" IN the
arbitration agreement prevented an
actual reduction Ia existing rates OF
pay but the award fixed the stand
ard rate at 10 cents less than this
fireman was receiving.
A. an arbitration tho railroads
presented the names Of switch en-
ginsers. one OF whom earned tf7z.s0
IN twenty six days" A subsequent
investigation demonstrated that this
man worked an average OF IL hours
and - minutes per day for rs days.
an equivalent Of ssh days Of eight
hours each. This investlgation dem
onsirated that In order 10 make the
t7zso he was not only paid for al
worked. but $3.50 in addition thereto
! as 20 penalties for working this en-
Rineer ~ hours and ~ minutes on
each or these 20 days without ~ my
time permitting him 90 stop 10 eat.
The same investigation proved that
10 earn the sum Of fils.74 ia rs
days fireman worked an average
of II hours and II minutes each and
every one Of these 70 days, and With
no stop TO eat on any day. This
switch engine fireman's 2s days
Equivalent Of 4sE days Of eight
yours eaeh--an average OF ssh hours
/ per week.
A. this rate for twelve months
this switch engine fireman would
work the equivalent Of 5s5is days
/ ~ eight hours each. An empioys In
the building trades In this same city
Of Chicago worked only 90 hours a
week. or an equivalent Of ESQ days
Of eight hours each during year.
Thus this switch engine fireman
works as msay hours In one year ne
an empioye In the building isdUs-
tries works I'm two years and one
month.
a true wage index 10 the rate per
hour. Let US compare tho wages
per hour o. railway employees in Chi
cago switching districts with those
OF the building trades IN Chicago.
Any other city would do as well.
Z Chicago comparisons are typical OF
them all
hour now paid in Chicago are as fol-
BUILDING EMPLOYEES
Briokiayers. portable and
hosting engineers, inside
wiremen, piasterers. plumb
ers and gas-fitters. steam
filters. stone masons and
tile layers. per hour. ...T5 cents
Iathers and marble set
,ers. per hour. .........-. .7i.s cents
Carpenters. painters and
slate and tile roofers. per
Elevator constructors. per
hour .......... ISIS cents
Structural iron workers.
Per hour ..ss........-... .ss cents
Icompoaition roofers. per
hour ............ ...tS cents
I-Aborers in tunnels. wells
and caissons. per hour. BIB cents
Laborcrs on windlsss. trench
and scaffoid. per hour. ....5o cents
Plaster laborers. per hour.so cents
Composition roofers' help
ers. per hour ..............t5 cents
Elevator constructors help
ers and tile layers helpers.
Marble settlers helpers. per
hour ......... ........... cas- cents
Ercavating iaborers. hod
carriers and steam-fitters'
helpers. per hour. cents
RAILWAY EMPLOYEES
Locomotive engineers In
Chicago railroad yards. per
switching foreman. per
switchmen. per hour. LIB cents
Locomotive firemen in Chi
eago railroad yards. per
hour ...............2I TO 2I.e cents
II will be noted that an arbitra-
tion board has fixed the wages OF
locomotive engineers at less than
most building iaborers are paid. and
/ only about two-thirds az much a. IN
paid TO many building employees.
! This same federal arbitration board
/ fixed tn. wages OF locomotive fire
men on the larger engine at about
half OF what helpers and iaborers
are paid. Notwithstanding that
other classes OF labor, this federal
arbitration board said that engin-
GERS and firemen must work at the
same rate AZ night as they work In
iers asked that they. work not TO
exceed 10 hours per day. this same
arbitration board fixed their work
Ing day at IL hours.
What do you think these enEin.
GERS. firemen and switchmen and
order to secure an eight-hour day.
A significant fact in connection
with the work OF railroad men Is
that because OF the larger engines
Der now handles In one freight train
as many cars and as much freight
as three crews did hands thirty
years ago.
PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON
Our President deals with facts and
abhors secret things and deceitful
cunning: he Is a man of plain. sim
pie truth-seeinE. and honest action.
but those who oppose him also know
the truth about the eight-hour day.
but cannot admit IL without appro-
val of this plain. truthful man.
Woodrow Wilson is for the man
first. as was our Abraham Lincoln.
The beloved Lincoln battled against
chattel slavery and human bondage.
lie said. Il would ms soon man had
me chained to q log as for any man
to have control over the means by
which I live" Lincoln was for hu-
manity. woodrow Wilson battles
against wage-slavery and economic
servitude. He tells us that he Is
more concerned with and about chill
dren In need and women in want and
tears than he Is about the profits OF
speculation. Indeed, Wilson is for
/ humanity. 1t viii be well for all
who put flesh and blood above the
dollar to form a phalanx from coast
TO coast and from border TO border.
and with patriotic thought make our
voice heard for liberty and security
while we have an able executive
who knows how to build for the
good of all without harm to any.
EDWIN J. BROWN.