The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-26

As a matter Of fact the rates of pay and
also the earnings OF many subdivisions
of classes of railroad employees have
air eady been so advanced as to be ahead
Of the highest point yet reached in the
general average increase in the cost of
living in the country Any effort to
adopt that high point as the minimum
.evei Tor all railroad wages will be high
ly detrimental to the public interest.
Not Reasonable to Raise Wages.
Il have consistently urged through
out this calendar year that the greatest
problem before the country Is a reduc-
ton in the cost of living and one OF the
greatest obstacles in the way Of such
reduClion would be substantial increases
in transportation rates. am convinced
that II Is not reasonable from the stand
point of the public and would not be
beneficial from the standpoint of rail-
road employees to make an increase in
wages In the effort to overtake the high
/ cost of living. since the increase would
thereby result In putting cost of living
that much further out of reach and
would seriously obstruct the efforts now
being successfully undertaken to bring
down the cost OF living
I'm this connection 1t Is proper to say
that IL railroad shop employees be
viewed as a class 1t appears from the
best data available that comparing the
total earnings OF those employees now
with their total earnings in the year
ended June 30, 1915, the average in
crease in their earnings is somewhat in
excess of the total increase in the cost
Of living from July l, 1915, to August
!. 1919. This comes about by the fact
that in carrying out the policy OF stan
dardization so strongly urged by the
railroad employees great numbers of
men employed n railroad shop: we're
given the benefit OF a higher classified
ton which entitled them to wages much
/ in excess OF the increases indicated by
the mere difference between the old rates
OF pay and the new rates Of pay. "
while Il Is true that those railroad
shop employees who enjoyed the highest
scale Of wages prior to the war may
not have received an increase fully
commensurate with the increase in the
cost Of living, It is also true that great
| numbers of those employees have re-
ceived increases substantially in excess
Of the increase in the cost Of living.
| Total Increase Not Excessive.
| This condition, however, should afford
no basis for the claim that the total
increase already given to railroad shop
| employees Is excessive. because / dc
not believe that such is the case. On
| the contrary, l believe the railroad shop
| employees were fairly entitled as a whole
! to the increases in wages provided. and
are also fairly entitled to the additional
| increase next below mentioned.
There has been insistent contention
that while all other classes of railroad
employees have mad their wages ad
justed In such manner that they received
an increased wage In addition to Teceiv
ing ten hours pay Un the prevail
period) for eight hours work, this same
treatment was not accorded 20 the shop
men. While 1t has been urged with equa
tnslstence that the shopmen got Offset
ting advantages, It seems TO me 1t Il
true that in this specific matter tn.
shopmen did not receive the benefit o
equal treatment On that account 4
seems to me fair In all the circum
stances to recognize this condition b!
giving the shop employees a rate OF Z.
cents instead of IS cents for the classe
now receiving 6S cents.
Under supplement to General Or
der ~ and an addendum to that supple
ment two different rates have been pro
vided for car Tepairers. one a rate o
So cents for steel freight car repairmel
and another rate OF 5B cents 70
! wooden IrelSnt car repalrmen. This dis
tinction has been diffiicult 20 main
tain and has been the source OF dissatis
faction, and there is a general agree
ment among the members OF the wag
board that the condition ought to b
remedied (although the labor represen
, tatives think 1t ought 10 be remedied b.
Increasing the rates for all car repair
|. ers to the highest rates).
II therefore conclude that, except a
, stated below, the rate for all freigh
car repairmen who by supplement t
General Order 81 and the addendur
thereto were intended to receive eithe
6s cents or 90 cents shall receive 8
cents per hour. There has been grea
dissatisfaction because car inspector
, generally have received only the rate O
IS cents Notwithstanding the fact tina
! steel freight car repairmen have receive
|, the rate of So cents. My conclusion
that, except as below stated, car IN
spectors should receive the same rate a
above indicated for freight car repair
men. and therefore should receive
cents per hour.
! Working Rules TO BE Made.
THE exceptions above referred to, a
: to freight car repairmen and as to ca
NU~aaw 49, -