The Washington times., 1928-01-26

frequently referred TO.
Even granting this, is the time
not coming when public opinion
will oppose the seven-day work
week on social, moral, national
grounds?
That most of our leading ran-
roads are now alive to the I'm.
portance Of reducing seven-day
work to a minimum is brought
out in letters received by the
writer, President j. M. Kurn, or
? the st. Louis-San Francisco rail-"
way, writes
Dear Mr.. Forbes.
"As far as this company Is con-
cerned. there is nothing whatever
to the complaints about the seven.
dav week. The majority Of our
office employees work five and a.
half days per week, and only
such clerks work in the local
stations as are necessary 10
check the trains and do a GER
tain amount of billing, and prac-
tically all of these employees have
one day a week off, il they work
on Sunday.
All Closed on Sunday
"our shops are all closed on
Sunday and we only work such
men in the mechanical depart.
ment as are necessary at the
different roundhouses to turn
power. and only such car men
as are necessary to inspect the
trains and make light repairs to
perishable loads or to cars ham
ding live stock are worled-not
q per cent Of the total thus en-
ployed.
Every few, If any. Of our sta
ton agents work Sunday, unless
they also act as telegraph oDer-
ators. in which case they may
come to the office an hour or
two on Sunday to meet certain
trains. This. however, Is avoided
wherever possible.
''Our train dispatching, of
course, has to be handled seven
DAYS q week, but EVERY DIS
PATCHER IS ALLOWED ONE
DAY OFF EACH WEEK, so
they only work six days. And
only such train and enginemen
as are necessary to move the
traffic and. of course, these men
work on mileage or hourly basis
and they have q great deal OF
time off. ~
''As to terminals. we only work
such switch engines as are abso-
lutely necessary to make up ana.
break up trains run on Sundays.
"In addition to letting the men
off on Sunday q big majority Of
them are off on all Of the seven
legal holidays Of the year.
I'VE are making every effort
possible to reduce Sunday work,
first, because we want to give the
employees a chance to have a day
OF rest; second, on most cases
time-and-one-half il paid for Sun
day work, and it is in the interest
of good operation to do as little
Sunday work as possible.
yours very truly,
81. M. KURN.S
Road Is Different
e. M. Rine, vice president and
general manager Of the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Rail.
road, writes, in part:
Dear Mr.. Forbes:
while 1t is not our desire to
work our employees in excess Of
six days per week, there are many
conditions surrounding the opera
ton of the railroad that make it
impracticable to provide relief on
the seventh day in all cases.
"You no doubt appreciate that
a railroad differs substantially
from any other industry as its
employees are widely scattered
and relief cannot always be at
forded. The employees are fully
cognizant Of the situation and
make no complaints.
"As a matter Of fact, the seven
day assignments are much sought
after by the older men in SER
vice, and are bid in on seniority
basis when vacancies occur, as
the men prefer to obtain the
higher earnings attached to such
positions and then ask for time
off when it suits their con-
venience. Very truly yours.
"E. M. RINE."
copyright. 1929, by b. c. Forbes)