The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-26
WITH THE EDITORS
A NEW CYCLE OF RAILWAY WAGES

Order No. 27 than the commission had recon-
mended. Director General McAdoo then appointed
a wage board composed of three railway officers
and three officers of employees organizations.
After receiving the recommendations of this
board, the director general made further advances
in the wages of the shop employees roughly esti-
mated at $150,OO0,OO0to $780, 100000 year. This
was the first of series of advances made to spe-
cial classes of employees which have amounted to
$500 $1,000 year, and which, with the advances
made on the recommendations of the wage COM
mission, have made the total advances to date
under government $80O,00O,O00 a year.
"The shop employees who were granted the first
special advance last year have recently presented
Ia petition for another large advance. 1t is esti-
mated that the advance now asked would amount
to $3.50 100000 year. The action taken on their
petition will be Important in itself but still more
important pifcedent: 1T another advance in
wages should be granted to the shopamp]oyes of
whom there are over 100000, there would imme-
diately be received petitions for at least proper
tionate advances to the other million and half
employees. If another advance should be granted
to the shop employees, it is hard to see how it could
be refused to other employees, since the shop en-
ployes are both absolutely and relatively among
the highest paid men on the railways. To begin
another cycle of advances in wages would mean
further increases of hundreds Of millions of dol
lars annually in railway expenses. 1t is only nee
essary to recall the experience of the last year to
show that this statement is justified.
"Are the shop employees entitled to higher
wages? They base their petition on the grounds
that the rates established last year are inadequate
and that further increase'is needed to meet the
ever-rising cost of living and to maintain more
equal differential between classes of railroad en-
ployes and those engaged in similar capacity in
other industries. But the cost of living will con-
tinue to tend upwards rather than downward if
vast advances of wages in the various industries
are to continue. Ut may be that mechanics en-
ployed in shpbuilding are paid higher wages than
railway shop employees; but practically all other
mechanics paid less, and substantially less
than those of railways; and comparison should
be made with mechanics of all classes working
under conditions comparable to those of railways,
not merely with the one class, which, because of
exceptional conditions, happens to be the highest
paid.
1.-The expenses of the railways are now out of
all proportion to their earnings, in spite of the
large increases in rates. The government in
Cured deficit of over $11O,O0O,OOO in operating
them in the months of November, Decembersand
January. 1t will have to advance the rates again
to avoid a huge deficit inl9l9 even if wages stay
where they are Every further advance in wages
will mean corresponding increase either in the
deficit that the taxpayers will have to pay or in
the rates that travellers and shippers will have to
pay. Have railway employees whose wages now
average as per cent more than year ago, a better
right to still further advances than the public has
to protection from the increase of taxes, or rates.
or both, that further advances in wages would
render necessary? That is the question really
raised by the beginning of new movement for
advances in railway wages.
The enormous advances in wages following
those made on the recommendation of the railroad
wage commission last year were made in such al
way that the press and public were not informed,
and do not know now the exact grounds upon
which they were asked for and granted. The fail
ure to give adequate publicity to these matters
was not justifiable even in time of war; it would
be still more unjustifable in time of peace. The
public has to pay the bill and has right to know
what and why it is asked to pay. The United
States we are occasionally reminded, is democ-
racy and it is not consistent with the principles
OF democracy for wage advances that will cost
the public hundreds of millions to be made as adj
vances in railway wages amounting to over half
billion dollars year have been made within the
last year.
The railroad administration should see that
the public is informed as to exactly what the rail-
way shop employees are asking; as to the reasons
advanced for and against granting their demands;
and as to the reasons for the decision finally
reached by the administration. Then the public