Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-02

by the Railroad Administrations board
Of wages and working conditions,
which is composed OF three representa-
tivts Of labor and three representatives
Of the railroad manaeemcnts. This
board was unable to agree. anu there
Tore. took no action as a hoard. but
on July l6 I received two reports from
members of the board. one from the
three labor members recommending Il
general increase in wages and another
report from the three management
hembefs recommend against any gen
oral increase IN wages although re-
copimending certain readjustments of
the Wages of some classes of the en-
plorees. The position of The labor
me nibers Of the board is that the wages
of railroad shopmcn are Substantially
below tho wages paid similar classes
oil employees IN the navy yards. ar
sensls and shipyards, and in many IN,
dustrial enterprises in the principal
CITIES Of the country.
Positions Arc Compared.
The position OF the management
members of the board is that the wages
OF shop employees are not properly
comparable with the wages Of nonrail-
road employees, cited BY the employees
and their representatives,, and that Il
further wage increase At this time
Souiu SIMPLY nCSln a new cycle In the
increased cost of living which would
not benefit the employees. They urge.
Instead. the adoption OF effective
methods of reducing the cost of living.
can be taken within a reasonabln time
to accomplish this result they see no
alternative but 10 continue the wage
cycle increase with corresponding in
creased cycles of living costs. The
earnest insistence that Immediate av-
uon be taken to equniize wages with
the rapid increase in the cost of living
is not confined to the shopmen.
. I'VE have received the mos, positive
assurances that any general Increases
to shop employees will result in .lc
every other class Of railroad employees.
The situation, therefore, cannot be
viewed eNcer. as whole for the en-
tire 2,0oo,o0u railroad employees.
asked for by the shop employees, would.
IL applied 10 al! employees. means an
Increase Of probably sSoO.0oo.oop per
year In operating expenses
Denote Is Growing.
The government is already incur
ring n deficit At the rate OF several
hundred million dollars per year in
operating the railroads. because the
Increase in transportation rates has
been proportionately less than tho in
cfease in wages already granted and
the increases In prices which have
taken place. Additional wages
cannot be paid unless new revenues
are produced through an increase in
transportation rates, and any immc-
date payment or additional wages
would necessitate for several months
an appropriation by Congress out OF
the Treasury because substantial in
efesses In rates could not be made i'm
THE question presented for an ad-
dttional increase in wages is a peace
time question between the entire
American public on the one hand and
the. 2,ooo.6o9 railroad employees and
the members of their families on the
other hand. 1t is question which I
do not believe the executive ought to
undertake to decide unless specific au-
thcfity is conferred upon him for tho
express purpose of deciding it,
while the general powers impiIed
In the Federal control act were SUM-
cieht To admit Of taking as war meas
ures the necessary steps TO deal with
The wage yob'ems that arose during
the war, they are not sufficient TO
satisfy the requirements arising in
connection with any present proposals
Tor general wage increases
Advises New Commission.
Under the. existing machinery the
ultimate public interest is exclusively
represented by the railroad administra
ton in the making of wages but by
me Interstate Commerce Commission
q, O., me ne maj decision upon rates.
the oHt, UdRU 4 accession hV thp
railroad administration AGAINST an IN
crease in.-wases will be regarded by
me employees as decision dictated
more oy the immediate difficulty of
broad interests OF the public as a
s Ehole On the other hand, decision
BY inc railroad adm Illustration in IA
VT OF an increase in wages will not
necessarily be binding on the Inter
state Commetce Commission, which is
n9W the hnal representative Of he
pupnc as TO transportation rates.
TO Geal with these problems under
peace time conditions, there ought to
De hhal and authoritative represcn.
tation IN the public whose decision
~hen In favor OF a wage incrcasn
would carry with it the Obligation on
Part OF the anal ratcmaking power 70
pIeecrioe rates which would furnish
!anas with which 10 pay The increased
The conclusion 10 which have
Solne mas been forced upon ME nv tin
recent DEVELOPMENTS nhovo ~ VIC