The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1916-11-30
RAILROADS USE
WORKERS FOR
ANTI-STRIKELA
Induces Its Slaves to Sign Petit
ton Under False Guise

The railroad owners are getting
ready to forge a new chain around the
necks of their employees. Knowing
that President Wilson has promised
them a compulsory arbitration law,
and hoping to force such a law
through congress by making it APP
pear that a majority Of the railroad
employees favor it, the railway own
ers have inspired the formation of a
committee of employees, called "The
Eighty Per Cent" which is sending
out a petition asking for compulsory
arbitration.
Committee Issues Appeal
The executive committee of "The
Eighty Per Cent" of which Robert T.
Frazier is chairman and P. K. Walden,
secretary, sends out an appeal in a
circular letter. This letter complains
that the Eight-Hour wage bill passed
by congress and signed by President
Wilson, does not provide for a real
eight-hour day, but merely increases
the wages of 20 per cent of the rail-
way employees by 25 per cent. This
wage raise for 20 per cent of the rail
way employees, says the letter, gives a
small minority more than double the
wages received by the other 80 per
cent of the railway employees.
The commission to be appointed by
the president, the letter continues,
will not investigate whether the 80
per cent of the railway employees are
entitled in justice to raise, but will
merely find out whether the railroads
can operate at profit, if the 20 per
cent of the railway employees received
rs per cent raise.
Should Raise All Wages
The Eighty Per Cent" whose
has been formed, the letter continues,
for the express purpose of obtaining
! signatures for a petition demanding
that the presidents commission shall
consider all the railway employees, not
merely the 20 per cent, and shall in
vestigate all hours of service and the
wages of all employees, with power to
fix an equitable scale of compensation
for all.
The "Eeighty Per Cent" whose
headquarters is at $50 Transportation
building, Chicago, assert that they are
employed in railway service handling
interstate transportation of every
character, including the United States
mails, men and munitions for the
army and navy.
To secure their ends "The Eighty
Per Cent" send out a petition to the
president and congress of the United
States and asks for signatures of all
who favor their demands.
For Compulsory Law
eve are among the 80 per cent of
the employees of the railways" the Pc
tition says, "who are not actually en-
gagged in train and yard service.
"The average compensation of this
80 per cent of the employees is less
than half the average compensation
of those engaged in the train and yard
service.
'Many of us have more hours of
service than do the train and yard
men and the work which most of us
perform is more laborious than their
work Equal or greater skill--acquir-
ed through a longer period of train
ing-is required for the performance
of the work of many of US than is
necessary to do the work of the train
and yard employees.
con September 2, 1916, the con-
gress enacted a law which was, on the
following day, approved by the presi-
dent, which will have the effect of in
creasing the wages of train and yard
service men about rs per cent, with
out in any way protecting the 80 per
cent. When this law becomes effect
i've on January I, 1917, the chances
for betterment of the condition of the
80 per cent will be diminished by rea-
son of the great tax upon the reve-
nues of the railroads in paying this 25
per cent increase to the train and yard
service employees.
eve appeal to you to enact a sys-
tenn of legislation that will provide
for thorough investigation, through
a commission, of the wages paid by
railroads engaged in interstate com
merce, which will empower said com
mission or board, after such investi-
]