The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-09-18
"Railroader Corrects
an Error

- dlnpd 1lncS VI t1It IIIll 1iloC'
prints a communication from a
man signing his name as a locomo-
tive engineer, who, in a rather
ruffianly manner, denies certain
statements made in recent Her
aid editorial headed GA Tragedy
of Errors"
First, he denies that the enact
ment Of the Adamson law, which
started all the country's troubles
with railroad wo kers, was secur-
cd through intimidating President
Wilson and congress. All the
world knows that the threat to tie
up the transportation system Of
the country was the cause of that
law being passed.
Second, he denies that locomo-
tive engineers get $500 day for
their work, alleging that the high
est pay they get it $676 for eight
hours or a run Of 100 miles This
may be true in this section; but,
if it is, it is due to the Adamson
law limiting the Work-day to
eight hours, or to unmitigated
laziness on the part Of the engin-
Ger.
The general manager of the
Pennsylvania railroad recently |
testified before a committee of the
house of representatives in Wash
ington that, in thirteen states,
freight engineers now get 81, 704 !
a year, passenger engineers 81 $50,
freight conductors $3,7G8, pas
senger conductors 1886. This
is over $1,000 per day for every
day i'll the year, and we feel sure
that no engineer or conductor in
the United States works 1865 days
IN the year Deducting the days
they are not working, their pay |
would likely amount to over
$1,000 a day.
Now, contrast these figures with |
the wages paid mercantile clerks
and bookkeepers who work ten
to fourteen hours day, preachers
and teachers, farmers help and
countless thousands of other
workers, hut few of whom get
half as much as do the locomotive
engineers, and it will readily be
seen how utterl y selfish and I'M
reasonable are their demands for
increased pay. They ought to
have sense enough to know that
any increase in their pay will
have to be met by an increase in
freight rates and that this in
crease will be added to the retail
price of all the necessaries of life
and thus neutralize the increase
in the wages of railway employ
ees, But, even if they know This,
they belong to the "Don 't-Give-a-
Damn" crowd and care nothing
for the inevitable consequences of
their greed.
Proof of the rapacity and Grim
inals disregard of other people s
rights and means of living is the
fact that even now the whole
country is threatened with a uni
versal strike Of railroad workers.
The whole country, innocent wo
men and children-ninety millions
of people, are to be punished, nay
starved to death, unless the de-
mands of these railway workers
are granted. Are the ninety mil
lions going to submit to this?
Will they hand the country and
its government over to these
labor profteers?
Third, the alleged locomotive
engineer correspondent of the
Times denies that any person of
intelligence can learn in sixty
days to run locomotive. A few
days after this fellows denial, the
Times published communication
from p. 0. Hickman of Punta Cor {
da, who is a retired locomotive
engineer, and he stated the fact
that, while he was running a loco !
motive for the Cuba Co. in Cuba, I
the company placed raw, mex {
perienced, untaught, unskilled
Cubans in charge of a number of
their locomotives. Mr.. Hickman I
and the five other American en- v