A. Stewart MacDo:1n1dD.F.C., MD. C..M. 
     
    
   
   
    
     On my first trip, I was a class 4 position, while the P.M.E. 
     
     in Halifax was a class 5, and I felt the underdog. Then later, 
     
     there was a change of classification from seven different 
     
     classes to 4. As a result, they put all the P.M.Es at class 2 
     
     except for four of us who were also S.T.M.O.s They left 
     
    

    
     us at class 3, and was I pleased to be a class ahead of the 
     
     P.M.E. in Halifax, and for which I was getting a higher pay. 
     
    

    
     He used to give me 12 pensioner's cases to work up 
     
     each day in Sydney. When I was up in Ottawa, my friend, 
     
     the head man, asked me how many I did, and he said that 
     
     was too many, that six should be enough. He wrote to the 
     
     P.M.E. saying that the Sydney group was complaining. My 
     
     work load was cut down to six, and the P.M.E. still felt that 
     
     the complaint came from Ottawa. 
     
    

    
     I used to get 25 cents a mile plus expenses, such 
     
     as hotel rooms and meals. Times were not that good back 
     
     then, and I used to like to take a few gifts back to my 
     
     children. By cutting down my meals, I was able to do this. 
     
    

    
     While I was in the Air Force, I found that you 
     
     cannot save money if you get a salary paid every two 
     
     weeks. During that time, my money went into the Bank, 
     
     and I was given 66 cents a day handling allowance. I saved 
     
     about $4,000.00, which helped carry the strain when I was 
     
     in medical school, but when I was flying in Summerside, I 
     
     was paid cash and was not able to save a cent. 
     
    

    
     I enjoyed the trips to Sydney, which were 28 in 
     
     number. I don’t think I ever made a trip to Cape Breton 
     
     when there was not some type of labour strike. On a 
     
     couple of winter trips, I flew down there. Otherwise, I 
     
     would have to drive around by Borden which made it a 
     
     long trip. 
     
    

    
     I used to start early Sunday morning for Sydney, 
     
     and it took me all day to get there. But when I was coming 
     
     home, I could make the 180 miles from Sydney to Pictou in 
     
    
   
   
    
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