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Show Hl SHALL RAILWAY EMPLOYES Hj HAVE AN EIGHT-HOUR DAY. M The Standard has been asked to ex- m plain whether the railroad employes M have asked for an Increase of wages H or have made a request M for shorter hours, in the H great contest now on which may re- mW suit in a tie up of all the railroads H in the nation. This question is hard Hl to answer because the granting of H shorter hours may, to a certain ex- H tent, increase- wages, in this, that in H any work that Is done after eight H hours, the railroad companies are re- H quested to pay price and one-half for H the over time. The Standard is not H exactly familiar with all the details H of the controversy, but, as we under- Hl stand the question, it Is this: H At present, railway employes work H from eight 'to sixteen hours out of H twenty-four hours; that the H railroad companies pay tne H employes additional for the extra H hours, but not over time at an in- H creased price, which is demanded by Hj the employes. H We have a statement before us In H which it is charged that a certain en- H gineef drew $263 for one month's ser- H vices, but this engineer replies that H out of. some twenty-four hours, be H put in as many as fifteen hours, and H that he sees no reason why some oth- H er man should not have drawn a por- H tlon of this money at the regular rate H and not have forced him to work over H eight hours. This engineer says he H would have been satisfied with less M money could his hours have been less H and more regular. H The railway companies, on the oth- H 'er hand, charge that the object of the H employes is not to reduce the hours B qf labor but to get price and one- mm half for all hours over eight hours mu and "that this would increase H, wageB. This engineer who drew $263 B lor one month's service replies that H the price and one-half for over time H is simply a matter of punishment to H the railroad companies for forcing a jnan to work more than eight hours, B and the fact that a price and one- H "half iB chai-ged for 'over time will mmm cause iue rauiuuu i;uiuija.u lu ijuu ca- H "tra men at work, Instead of forcing Hj the regular employes to work over H fame. Hj The Standard is inclined to believe H 'that the last is the logical H 'conclusion to be reached. For in- H Stance, for years the Standard em- H loyed Its printers on a nine-hour H Tjasls. The ''printers' union finally de- H jmanded, and were successful in forc- H Ing, the Standard to recognize eight H I'h'ours as a day's work and to pay H over time for extra hours. The Stan- H dard believed that this was simply a holdup on the part of the union and submitted with ill grace, but after aft-er the contract was signed for eight hours and price and one-half for all over time based on eight hours regular regu-lar work, the Standard made it a duty to see that the printers did not get any over time. In fact the word "over time" has been used so little under our present contrnct that it has almost become obsolete at the Standard Stand-ard office. The Standard believes the railroad companies could adjust their hours of labor so there would be very little over time. It may cause them some inconvenience to begin with, but we believe the brains at the head of the railway organization will be able to cut out the over time to a great extent. ex-tent. The eight-hour day labor law has become general in the United States, and it is only a question of time until the railroads will have to submit to this condition, and the earlier they do it the better for all concerned. Of course, we admit that the railroad rail-road companies have a greater task before them than the Standard had when its printers insisted upon an eight-hour day, and we believe the railway employes would be willing to grant ample time for the railroads to put the eight-honr- day in force. It has been contended, that railway work is very hazardous and for that reason, if for no other, the railway employes should be .forced to work no longer hours than absolutely necessary neces-sary in order that their mind and body may be quick to act when danger dan-ger confronts them. If the railway employes ask for no Increase of wages and are willing to accept the present wages, but with maximum hours limited to eight hours a day, and are willing, in emergencies, to work longer hours at a price and one half for over time, their demands seem to us to be reasonable, and it is only a question of time when those conditions will be insisted on in all industrial enterprises in this couu-try. |