Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-19
On the Section Hands Side.

Bassett, Neb., June 15.-To the Ed
tor of The Bee: / see there is good
deal Of a discussion about the increass
Of railroad wages and in one of yeui
papers you make a statement tina,
even the section men are included.
see where Mr.. McAdoo said he was
going to protect the unorganized labor
the section men-and that he was
going to give a substantial raise. ]
see where he gives them a 21s-cent
raise. They now are drawing rs
cents per hour.
are the goat and also a joke in the
miAds of the people as we'll asvsthe
company and the only reason Is be-
cause they are TOO weak to hold an
organization now. What Is their
work? They have to work when the
mercury stands at 10 in the shade,
and In the winter, no matter how low
1t stands-even &c below--they have
to go over the track and see il it Is
safe, and they have the lives of our
troops and the president of this glori-
Gus country and all the public In their
hands, and are the only class Of rail-
road employees that everything is left
to their judgment. AS to the speed
OF trains, they can reduce the speed
to 10 miles per hour or can stop any
train and hold it till they are satisfied
1t is safe, without any orders from
their superiors, and they have thou
sands of dollars of material in their
care each year and the company has
confidence enough in them to look
after its interests-that if a fire burns
up the whole country they are sup
posed to look after the company's in
terest and also if stock Is killed they
are expected to see that the company
is protected. They go out at night
after storms and see If everything is
safe. and all of the officers take the
section mans report and rely on his
judgment of the conditions If safe to
run their trains at so miles or five
miles an hour, and they don't even
question his judgment, and he Is the
poorest paid employe on the road.
Will give you partial list Of prices
he has to pay now and what he used
to have Overalls, $225, and light
weight that could have been bought
for Is cents two or three years ago;
SIS for shoes that could have 5been
bought for 50; shirts, $125, used to
get at 45 cents. What he has to eat:
One dollar sack for -four that now
is $500, and not as good; sugar, 12h
cents now, against 8 cents; meat from
SO to IS per cent per pound more and
everything else in proportion. Now
It seems as though we would be COM
PEELED to seek other employment be-
cause we are the lowest paid employees
IN any branch of business today.
There is nothing in the shape OF work
Today but what pays more for a mans
lime. The boys al: are good Ameri-
cans and loyal to our country and our
lag, and we would like to have Mr..
McAdoo remember, us with at least
enough to live on. He asks us to buy
War Savings stamp and Liberty
ponds, and we have done SO, some of
is beyond our means. Part Of us only
,an work about seven months and
hen are laid off for the winter, and
t we live through we have to sure
get out and hustle, as we can lot any
more than keep even through the
summer and pay rent and the increase
n price of everything we use. Some
II us are going to see mighty hard
lines this coming winter if we get
,nly 2 cent raise. While the train
nen get practically a good raise, they
only get this becaus Of their strength.
This country boasts that it is the
friend Of the weak, but the weak can
lot see it work on that way, at least
n the present wage scale and the de-
ay Of getting what little raise there