The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-08-29
R. R. FIREMEN
ASK WAGE RAISE
Roads Also Required by Demands
to Provide New Locomotive
Equipment.
WOULD COST s2o0,0oO,ooo
Overtime Rates Fixed by 800 Brother
hood Chairmen-Automatic Stok-
ers and Coal Passers Included
in Demands.

CleVelanu-A 30 TO % per cent. III
crease in wages is demanded for H.
600 fremen and hostlers on railroads
in the United Statets and Canada in Il
wage scale adopted before adjourn
ment by 800 general chairmen of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
and Enginemen.
Another demand to be presented to
the director general of railroads is
that all coal burning locomotives in
road service weighing 100000 pounds
and more shall be equipped with me-
chanical stokers and that two firemen
shall be employed on all such locomo-
tives until they are so equipped.
About half of the $4,000 engines in
the United States will come under this
proposal, only about 5000 of which are
equipped with mechanical stokers at
present.
In addition a demand is made that
all coal burning locomotives of less
than that weight shall be equipped
with mechanical coal passers and that
all coal burning locomotives shall he
equipped with power CRATE shakers
and automatic fire door openers.
1t is estimated it would cost $780,
100000 to equip locomotives in the
United States with the devices de-
manded.
The more important sections of the
report of the wage committee as adopt
ed follow:
Rates of pay for firemen and help
ers in passenger service, $3.50 day
of 100 miles or less, except when Nal
let engines are used, when $7.20 shall
be paid.
Overtime in passenger service will
be computed on the present basis at
speed of 90 miles an hour.
Firemen in freight service on en-
gines weighing less than 100000
pounds, $6.51 a day: on engines
weighing over 100000 pounds, $3.50 a
day of 100 miles or less; overtime to
be computed on basis of speed of
twelve and half miles an hour.
Firemen and helpers employed in
local or way freight service, mixed
trains, mine runs and other service,
minimum pay of 80 cents for each
100 miles or less, in addition to the
through freight rates.
Firemen employed on helper, push
err, transfer work, wreck, construction,
snow plow, circus, milk and all other
trains in unclassified service to be
paid through freight rates, according
to class of engine used.
Firemen employed on Mallet engines
in all service, except yard service,
$7.2O a day for 100 miles or less.
Firemen and helpers employed in
yard service, $3.50 day Of eight hours
or less, except when Mallet engines are
used, when rate of $3.50 shall be paid.
Time and one-half for overtime in
all classes of service, which will ap-
ply when men are used on Sundays or
holidays.
Inside hostlers, $3.50 day; outside
hostlers, $7.20 a day, and hostlers'
helpers, $3.50 a day, eight hours or
less to constitute days work. Time
and one-half for all time work in eX-
cess of eight hours.
Another working condition demand
ed is that on railroads where firemen
are required to clean locomotives they
shall be relieved of such work and
that firemen shall be relieved of re-
moving tools or supplies, loading coal,
filling lubricators, etc.
"The firemen on locomotives han
ding the preponderance of traffic will
receive under our proposition a wage
increase of about so per cent" said
Timothy Shea, acting president of the
brotherhood.
"If our full demands are granted it
will hardly restore pre-war conditions,
considering the present purchasing
power of the dollar. Since 1913 the
wages of firemen have been increased
approximately so per cent, and it is
a matter of record that the cost Of liv-
ing during that time has increased 100
per cent. The wage increases to fire.
men since 1913 have been entirely
wiped out by the increased cost of liv-
ing.
shington.-DemandS OF American
railroad firemen and hOstlers for in
creased wages and changed working
conditions, as outlined in wage scale
adopted at Cleveland by the general
chairmen of the Brotherhood Of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen, prob
ably will be considered along with the
demands of other railroad workers,
railroad administration officials said.
CROPS GOOD IN EUROPE.