OCR Text |
Show 1 All Systems in Country Now Operated Under Provisions Provi-sions of Act. 1 LITTLE NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THIS STATE Will Have Effect of Closing Small Stations and Annul- ling Stub Trains. The railroads operating out of Salt Lake, in common with all the other roads of the country, aro now operating operat-ing under the new nine-hour law passed by Congress. The law wrnt into effoct Wednesday all over the United States. On many roads throughout iho country it has caused schedules of working hours for employees lo be turned topsy turvoy. and a large number of the roads havo had agents in Washington protesting protest-ing against many provisions of tho act before the Interstate Comnicroo commission. com-mission. Littlo has been accomplished, however, ho far by tho roads in securing secur-ing modifications of tho measure, the commission stating that the act will be thoroughly tried out in all parts of tlic country before any change is made in its provisions. In the average -case the provisions of the law affect tho men who operate directly or indirect.lv tho- trnins of the railroads aud the telegraphers and dispatchers dis-patchers of tho roads. The trainmen cannot, under the law, work more than sixteen consecutive hours without being given ten hours' consccutivo rest, and the telcgraphors cannot work more than nine consecutive consecu-tive hours out of twenty-four when they aro employed in an ollicc that is open night and day. Exceptions lo Ia.w. j The exceptions lo the lnwjrc as follows: fol-lows: Agents and telegraph operators who do not handle train orders pertaining lo or uffectlng train movemonls aro "not subject .to conditions of the law and can contlnuo the performance of their duties without change. Telegraph operators at all train order offices not operated continuously nlsht and day, whether day operators, night operators or "spilt trick" orcrators, will ordinarily work twelve hours per day. ' Including meal hour, as Is tho present practice. At train ordnr offices, where continuous continu-ous twenty-four-hour service I.s provided for. telegraph operators will work nine actual hours per duy, not Including meal hour. Telegraph operators at all train order offices may bo permitted, in emergency cases.. 10 Work four houra per day In addition to their regular hours, as stipulated stipu-lated in this law, not oxeceding three days In any week. In such emergencies, tho time thus employed will not be considered con-sidered as overtime nor any allowance mado beyond the .hours of duty for such positions na por the schedules existing at tho prcsont timo. When a wreck or any other disast.or delays a train and forces tho men operating it to remain on duty longer than the time allowed them in the law. the railroad company cannot bo hold liable. Littlo Change in Utah. Tho law provides that any road caught breaking the law in forcing employees em-ployees to, work more than the time stated above shall bo fined $500 for each offense. The fines aro to be imposed im-posed through suits brought against the roads in the United States District courts having .jurisdiction over the territory ter-ritory where the offenses are commit com-mit ted. A circular issued last week by tho Oregon Short Line to all trainmen and telegraphers ou that sj-slcm called attention at-tention to the uew order of things. The immediate effect of the law upon tho geucral public will be the employing of more telegraphers by railroads, "and of taking trains off branch lines that havo boeu runuing light on trallic tho past few months. Many roads are petitioning tho Interstate Commerce commission for permission to close small railway stations, that they may uso the telegraphers emplo.ycd there elsewhere. In Utah practically all tho roads have for months virtually complied com-plied with the conditions of the law, and very little change has been made since it went; into effect in schedule of working hours. |