The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-03-10
MAIN CAUSE OF OVERTIME.

vents Making Mileage Within Time
Limits-Workers Not Opposed to Ar
bitration, but Are Not Pledged to
Peace at Any Price.
The trainmen's side of the contro-
versy with the railroads over the eight
hour day is set out in an official state
ment recently issued and signed by the
heads of the four big brotherhoods
The statement says in part
"The eight hour day movement is
based wholly upon the justice of a
workday of reasonable hours that will
permit the men further to separate the
dead line between work sand wages.
The railroads say in effect that men
who have put in Il few years of rail
road service have worked themselves
out and will not lie accepted If they
lose their positions II men are work
ed out in few years under present
service conditions the demand to ex-
tend their wage earning years IS fully
justified
"Overtme in road service is due al
most wholly TO the practice of rail
roads overlooking trains SO that they
cannot make their mileage within their
time limits. The railroads are doing
this for profit They do not deny it.
and if they propose 70 demand extra
service at the sacrifice OF the health
and future earning ability Of the men
they should pay extra for it. The pay
ment of overtime applies with parttcu-
lar force to yards where the compa-
MES can regulate their work SO that no
overtime need be made.
The statement denies that the men
are not sincere in their demand for
the shorter worlday or that they want
a wage increase rather than time de
crease" 1t asserts.
"The pay of train service employees,
other than passenger, Is based ON 100
miles or less. ten hours or less In the
eastern territory, for instance. the
brakeman will receive the munificent
sum OF $2GT for regular freight train
service, out of which he must maintain
his family at home and take care Of
himself mt the other eud OF the run
The 100 mile trip is what represents
one days work and means tlat at its
expiration the man must stay away
from home mtil he is deadheaded
back or returned With a train.
THAT there is not SO macA iustitica
ton for the contention of the railroads
that the eight ho0r day is impossible
is proved bE the fact that at present
there are seven roads in the southeast
ern and one IN the western territory
that pay overtime on an e'eyc2 miles
per hour basis Six roaJa in the south
ern and two III the west ern territory
pay overtime on Il twelve miles per
hour basis. Eight in the southeastern
and five in the western territory pay
overtime on Il twelve and one half
miles per hour basis. There is only
one road in the United States of which
we have knowledge that works more
than the ten hour work day
The brotherhools denied emphatical-
Iy that other employees should suffer
reductions to meet any extra expense
that the eight hour day for trainmen
might involve. The fact that diyi-
dends might be reduced, they said. was
"a matter with which we have nothing
TO do
They argued that freight rates need
NOT necessarily be increased because
of shorter hours for EMPLOYEES. but
said they favored such increases if the
roads need the revenue. A question
whether roads "sbouId cut down ex-
nenditures for So called nonproductiye
improvements" is something "entirelv
within the Judgment Of the compa-
nies +" according 10 the statement
which added that q 500 000 600 rail
passenger station erected IN complying
with nublic demand" bore tbe same re-
Iation 10 the mons wages "as so much
waterad stock +" Questions relating +o
government ownership and national
regulatiop of railway wages were de.
clarad axtraneons to tha issue
Whether the controversy Is 10 lead
to strike wos pronounced a "aues-
tion that at fbis timo Is not q mart of
the discussion" The organizations "are
not opposed to arbitration neither are
thev nledged to accent If !" said the
statement which added.