The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-26
NEW HAVEN R. R. ASKS QUESTIONS OF LIABLE. MEN Inquiry is Directed Particu- larly to the Operating
 Railroaders. THUS PREPARES TO CLAIM EXEMPTIONS Many Employees Now Are in Government Service In
 Europe.

In a special letter to employees whose services are vital to the op- eration of it's trains, the New Haver road officials yesterday asked for cer. tain information from all the men Ha- ble to military service and informed them at the same time that "it is the intention to handle this matter at the proper time in order if possible, to make such arrangements as will moi cripple the railroad service because of railroad employees being called on this draft order" This is taken to mean that a blanket exemption will be asked for the operating crews and closely allied workers, as it is said that the road Is at present running with a skeletonized forqe and cannot afford to lose a man if it is to con- tinue its service. sS
 The letter was not sent to such em- ployes as car repairers, 1aborers, un- skilled mechanics, or any other em- ployes whose places might easily be filled in case they were drafted into service. It was addressed to agents, general yardfnasters, master mechan- ics, passenger conductors. freight flag men. yard hrakemen. passenger train men. trainmasters and roadway de- partment employees. The men are asked to personally give the informa- tidn desired, the order superseding that in which the information was to be transmitted through the medium of trainmasters, yardmasters and oth- CT supervisory employees. The latter method of gathering the data wanted was unsatisfactory. The sudden ness, or rather impatience, with which the first oDder was rescinded in. dicates an anxiety on the part of the officials in New Haven to get the matter settled at once.
 A blank was enclosed with each letter, with spaces for the name. oc- equation, age, red letter number and dependents, if any. The men were told to list under "dependents' not only wives and children. but any oth- CTS that may be dependent upon them for support. stating the relation ship.
 Seldom in the history of the road has such serious shortage of men to run the trains and do other vital work confronted the} officials. Men are being heId on their jobs at all hazards, serious cases of disobedience and greater and lesser attractions of the rules governing the employees are being overiookedi leaves or absence are ping cut down to the minimum men who shpw,the least aptitude for the peculiar work of railroading are being snapped up and put to work Promotions for employees, especially in the yard service have been pro- fuse, many men who are only a few months in the service being pushed rapidly into charge of crews and higher places being awarded to oth- CTS.
 It is thought that, for several req sons, the road is unwilling to have it's employees drafted in large mum. ibers. One is that already the road has used its influence and the time of many of its high-paid employees te induce large numbers of it's employes in all branches of railroad work te enlist in the volunteer engineerins corps, many of whom are already be, s hind the fighting lines in France and thousands of others in training il this country The New Haven roat alone contributed thousands to this service.