in securing
the passage of protective state and national legislation such as full
crew laws, standardization of train equipment, employers' liability
laws, car limit laws, etc.

The hazardous nature of the work is indicated by a statement made by a
prominent union official to the effect that the Trainmen's Brotherhood
paid a claim for death or disability every seven hours. A report to
the Interstate Commerce Commission states that there is one case of
injury in train or yard service every nine minutes. With the invention
of safety devices the risk of accident has been greatly lessened, but
railroading is still one of the most dangerous industrial occupations.

There is little chance of employment for applicants under the age of
21 years. In fact, many roads refuse to employ men below this age.
Physical or sense defects which often accompany advancing years, and
which would not disqualify a man in other occupations do so in
railroad work. The average length of the working life is a little over
12 years.

Railroad employees are among the best paid workers in the country. A
close estimate based on extensive wage investigations places the
annual earnings of engineers at from $1,200 to $2,400 a year, with an
average of $1,600. Conductors average about $1,350, firemen a little
over $900, and other trainmen about $950. The usual working day is 10
hours, although this is often exceeded. Overtime is paid on a regular
scale agreed upon by the companies and the union.

The educational requirements are not very exacting. A thorough
grounding in the "three R's" is usually all that is necessary. A large
amount of trade knowledge is obtained through contact and
participation after entering employment and can be gained in no other
way. The examinations for promotion are of a thorough-going character.
One of the roads in Cleveland requires an examination of its firemen
and trainmen six months after employment, as to vision, color-sense,
and hearing. They must also pass an oral examination on the
characteristics of their division and a written examination on certain
set questions furnished them in advance. Two years later they are
examined again, the fireman for engineman, and the brakeman for
conductor. The scope of these examinations covers the whole range of
train operating. Each of the five large railroads entering Cleveland
has air-brake cars equipped with various forms of air brakes, air
signals, pumps, valves, and injectors