THE RAILWAY "LOCO." MEN'S CLAIMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 8

THE RAILWAY "LOCO." MEN'S CLAIMS

Sir.-rlt is getting quite amusing to read ot the "loco, men of the railways" holding strike ballots. Mr. Herrics knows them too well to be bluffed. He knows, too, how easy these men can be replaced. Any man of ordinary brains could be trained to drive a railway locomotive! and fancy the Railway Department being humbugged with them so long! Why. somp of these men get in their 48 hours in four days some weeks, and have a break from Thursday night until Wednesday morning—four first days one week and four last days next week—and they get more money' than the man that makes the engine. As one told me the other day, they have a soft thing on, but why not get more if the Government is silly enough to give it? He says with the newer class of engine a man only needs to get off his seat once from the time lie leaves his station until he gets home ■ again. They have no trade to learn, and, ! mind you, lately they call themselves en- • gineers; but I suppose they don't know i an engineer is a man who has served his , time to a trade and qualified. They '. qualify by cleaning an engine, \rhite- . washing pits and sheds, loading .coal, i firing, then they go up for a fireman's ticket; then fire an engine for a yearor . two, and go up for a driver's ticket. The examinations'are rule of thumb, and all I pass. A man on a traction engine has [ far more responsibility. I have nothing . njsiinst them, but I consider the man who serves his time and builds an engine. 1 and has to repair it when it goes wrong I should get .more money than one that can blow the whistle, open the throttle, j put on oil, etc., and call himself en i engineer.—l am, etc., ' b A PAIR THING.