Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1919-04-11
THE WAGE ISSUE
By Alfordson

daily papers, new Cycle Oh hdllWdy
Wages" the railway shop workers
are a very muchly over-paid line of
workers. 1t says in one part of the
article, care the shop employees en-
titled to higher wages ?" Why should
they not receive higher wages, have
any living commodities dropped since
we received our last increase? No,
but number of things have taken
an increase; sugar has advanced one
cent on the pound, creamery butter
16 cents and | could go on naming
articles that are necessities which
| have advanced to such an extent that
our increase does not meet the bills
of today. So it becomes necessary
for us to ask for a further increase
in order to pay our bills.
The good book which some of US
have read at one time in our lives,
saws, "The laborer is worthy of his
hire" and who labors harder than the
railway worker, and why should not
his hire be such that he could live
respectable and lay a little by for the
rainy day? In 1903 the railroad scale
was 2212c per hour for steam filters,
who worked 10 hours, making 1925
per day; while in the city shops at
Columbus they paid $3.50 for hours.
In 1917 our scale was 38c per hour
and 9 hours for days work. At
Camp Sherman they paid zoe per
hour with time and one-half for over
8 hours and double time for Sunday.
Why did not some one champion
our cause when we were set of poor
underpaid hirelings? What was the
paper that published this New Cycle
of Railway Wages doing at that time?
Did the business men mentioned in
said article lend their assistance or
give voice to our cause when they
knew we were not getting our just
deserts? No, they did not; and now
since we have become the Phoenix
and risen from the ashes, they would
like to destroy our future by the high
tax claim. That song does not sound
so good any more. If tobacco ad-
vances 1c on the pound we pay 1c or
more on the package of 212 or 3 o.;
so the tax does not harm the mer-
chant, he gets his back.
The railway workers are becoming
disgusted over this high wage stuff
that is continually being showed at
them. For the amount of response
bility placed on them they were the
poorest paid men in the employ of
the government. But the government
has begun to see the injustices done
US in the past and is trying to rectify
it. When Mr.. McAdoo had the wage
commission in session he did not take
the press and public into his conf
dence and ball things up. That is
why some of them are sore and say
the railroad administration should see
that the public is informed as to eX-
actly what the railroad shop employees
are asking. In order to crafty their
curiosity we might say we are only
asking wages enough to have three
good meals per day, an up-to-date
house with a bath room, clothes
enough for the whole family to look
respectable at all times-enough to
go to some entertainment when we SO
desire, an odd piece of change to drop
into the contribution box at church
on Sunday, also few nickels and
dimes for Sunday school and the Sal
vation Army. We could stand it for
a year at this rate, then we would
have to think about the rainy day,
sickness, doctor bills, insurance and
possibly death. But the railway
worker had better not think of this
mode of life, it would be too near
perfection. Some think that we
should be satisfied with the kennel
that some Of these people are renting
for anywhere from $40 to $40 per
month, with the toilet in the back
yard and a drive we'll on a line 80
feet away. Did any of these people,
who declare we are robbing the gov
ernment by asking for living wage,
ever refuse to take the stolen money
when we went to pay bill? l never
had anyone refuse to take it, not even
the paper that has published this kick
Under the present high price sys-
tenn man has got to be paid higher
wages, and the business men of New
ark who are dependent upon the wage
Garner for their prosperity, should be
glad to see him get just days pay
for just days work. Live and let
live is our motto The sole object in
a few fighting over increase in wages
is to try to dissatisfy the public and
create clamor, so the roads will go
back to private corporation. They
had better let we'll enough alone.