The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-04-28
What Constitutes Days Work? Rail-
road Working Conditions Under
the National Agreement

road employees under the national
working agreement 1t is pointed
out that under existing law the in
terstate commerce commission is re-
| quired to establish rates so that the
railroads small earn 5ls per cent on
the property, under honest. efficient
and economical management" plus
one-hal OF ! per cent for improve
meats. etc. making a total of 6 per
cent Under economy in operation
the big factor of course is the wages
paid TO labor. The total wages and
all other operating expenses must be
added to the per cent authorized
and the aggregate must be paid by
the public in freight charges and
passenger fares. This chamber
holds no brief for the railroads, nor
for the wage worker. On the con-
trary we want to represent the fell
low who pays the freight We are
glad to have every good employee
paid a good living wage. He should
get all he earns, but he should earn
what he gets" In order to get at
the facts a series of questions bear
] AAAf7 CA WI Mis- NOAQAllOAlo unQGI lllt
national agreement were submitted
to a special committee OF the cham
Der of commerce, the committee be-
ing composed of the following repre-
sentative business men of St. Louis:
Ley p. Rexford, chairman chamber of
commerce traffic bureau; j. NJ. Kurn,
president st. Louis-San Francisco
railroad; w. Palmer Clarkson, presi- |
dent Manufacturers association; A. |
c. Lueking. vice president Ely Walk
er Dry Goods company; John F. |
Shepley, president St Louis Union |
Trust company. The report of the |
committee follows, consisting of the |
questions submitted and the answers,
from which it should not be difficult |
to determine whether the public is
getting that for which it pays
Questions and Answers.
1. (a). Is it true that under the
present classification rules of the
shop crafts, in order to change a noz-
zle tip in the front end of a Iocomo-
tive, it is necessary to call a boiler
maker and his helper to open the
door, because that is boilermakers"
work; to call a pipeman and his help
err to remove the blower pipe, be-
cause that is pipemen's work; and to
call machinist and his helper to re-
move the tip, because that is ma
chinists' work; also for the same
force to be employed for putting in
the new tip?
Answer-F'ull compliance with the
national agreement requires the pro-
cedure outlined in the question.
(b) Is it true that before federal
control a machinst's helper, or
handy man, could put in this nozzle
tip alone?
Answer-Yes at a number of
points a machinist and helper or ma
chinist alone would put in the nozzle
tip and at larger points there were
handy men working for a less rate of
pay than regular mechanics who did
steam pipe work exclusively handl-
ing all steam pipe work including the
changing of nozzle tips
(c). Do similar classification rules
exist for all other shop work?
Answer-Yes. Prior to federal con-
troll it was not an uncommon prac- r
tice for machinist and his helper to q
take care of all of the work neces- 7
sary on an electric headlight of a To- @
Under the national agree O.
ment the work is so classified as to
distribute same among three crafts, O
namely, machinists sheet metal C
" orlSers and electricians If each of p
he mechanics performing the work a
nave helper this has the effect of s
six men performing a piece of work
hat could and was formerly taken c.
are of by two men. p
2. (a) Is it true that men working
IN trucks, spring work and kindred a
handymen's or helpers wages t.
n a shade above common aborers' y
Jay, were made mechanics by supple "
nent No. 4 issued by Mr.. McAdoo u
md are now receiving s5 cents per Ell
our, mechanics pay?
Answer-Yes. CO
(b) Is it true that all of these me- al
hanios are referred to as "MoAdoo al
Mechanics" because they were made al
IcCuduiCS ny hH6 9CuCEdi u ~
and not by experience? III
Answer-Yes. 81
8. (a). Is it true that men employed ii
o couple and uneouple hose between al
he cars mot as difficult or hazardous d,
task as hitohing span of muIes), h'
re now classed as car men, receiving W
0 cents per hour, with time and one al
alf for Sundays and holidays, aver T
ging $215 per month, for working Ct
even hours and forty minutes per m
ay? al
Answer-Yes. re
(b). Is it true that before federal pa
ontrol these same employees reeeiV-
from % to "a cents per hour and de
traight time for Sundays and holt
avs, averaging about 500 per month ra
Or a 1o-hour day7 so
Answer-Yes, to a certain extent. W
REVEALING rate prior to FEDERAL con-
- IL O.,