12 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND WAGES

was termed the Central Competitive Field, made up of
[llinois, Indiana, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. The
rates of pay in other mining areas were related to these
ruling rates, varying according to comparative physical
factors, such as the thickness and character of the coal
seams, and the ease or difficulty of mining coal. Wages
and working conditions were, therefore, practically standardized
 on a national basis, with due allowance for variations
 in local conditions of mining.
On the railroads, the highly organized engine and train
crews, popularly known as “The Brotherhoods,” at first
carried on relations with the individual railroads. Afterwards,
 negotiations and collective bargaining developed
according to geographical sections known as the East,
Southeast and West, the railroads being grouped respectively
 for these designations as (1) North of the Ohio and
Potomac and East of the Mississippi, (2) South of the
Ohio and Potomac and East of the Mississippi, and (3)
West of the Mississippi River. This geographical grouping
 for industrial relations and the determination of wagerates
 was brought about primarily through its acceptance
by railway managements for the purpose of protecting
their own interests. They found it expedient to have
wages and working conditions standardized in certain
areas, in order to nullify the tactics of the labor organizations
 in playing one individual railroad against another for
the purpose of establishing precedents for collective bargaining.

Standardization was also strongly supported by the railway
 labor organizations. Before our entrance into the
World War the unions of engine and train crews had
effectively organized the “Eight-Hour Day Movement” on
a national basis. At the same time, they were attempting