Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-17
RAIL EXECUTIVES
APPROVE HIGHER
WAGES IN SERVICE
Managers Leader Appears
Before Labor Board at
Chicago Hearing.
BY the Associated Press.

HiSh Gus VI living. me Association OF
hallway Executives declared today in
its opening statement before the Rail
road Labor Board. The board began
! hearings here TO-DAY
f. T. Whittier, chairman Of the con-
ference committee Of rail managers
OF the execItives' association. told the
'nands bsing made by 100000 rail-
way employees probably would be
fond - be justified by the rise in the
cost .. living.
agreement of the railroads them
i s.iE's 'ha: at leas: a part of the men
sho@il have more money is expected
:" "a toward e1pediting early set
! 'tefHens Of she controversy which cul-
. :"...t"d last month in strikes by dis
s:aat.ea employees.
j Aggregate Billion Dollars.
! The demands now before the board
aggregate more thnn a billion dollars
year in addition to billion dollar ad-
vance during the war and a $500. 900. 900
advance IN the two years prior to gov
eminent control. according to Mr.
i winter. He presented figures to show
tAat the railway pay roll had In
creased from 3S5 per cent of the
gross earnings of the roads in 1915 to
e3.6 per cent last year.
w aPPi SSidtS lutIy, Mt. w nller
| said. that the increases received by
some employees in the last five years
nave not been commensurate with the
increases in the cost Of living and
that due consideration to this fact
must be given by the board in de-
termlnins which of these employees
are fairly entitled to increases to en-
able them better to meet the burdens
resulting from the increased cost of
living.
We appreciate also that there are
olher employees who are receiving rates
IN an absolute sense. Yet which do not
compare favorably in some localities
with wages paid similar occupations in
outside industries. and we further ap-
preciate that the discrepancies are such
tfat the railroads cannot. under present
conditions in such localities hold these
employees for their very necessary work
| unless Some increases are given.
Regularity Of Employment.
We cannot. of course, hope to COM
pete with outside rates. cent for cent
per hour. nor should this be considered
necessary. Consideration must be given
to the greater regularity and continuity
OF employment in railroad service. To tho
greater stability Of railroad rate. OF
wages when once established. and Ia
other attractive features OF RAILROAD em-
ployment which in the past have induced
men 10 prefer to continue IN railroad
employment even when outside employ
meht oHered somewhat higher rate
per hour
The great increase in the cost OF ljv-
ing. MIR. Winter said, was an evident
iaet, and wage adjustments must take
tnis FACTOR into account. But, he said.
the peak in the cost of living had prob
aoiy been reached, and the board must
consider the situation which would be
DIousn. ABOUT when the cost OF living
declined On this subject he said:
With the forces now at work to bring
ABOUT reduction in the high living cost.
with the now thoroughly aroused pub
TIC sentiment. with the organized move
nent TO curtail imitation. it is next 10
impossible to believe that the peak in
the Increase in the cost OF living has not
peen reached: and a procedure that
on the basis OF the present living COST
could hardly be defended And unlexs
some automatic principle il embodied in
the award of your board that will oper-
ate to readjust base ties as living cost,
go back toward the prewar basis. or
unless something is incorporated that
will provide for a review of the award
after some specified period. any w.1a
rates that may now be fixed BY yo,Ir
board would be practically permanent
rates.
Method Of Reduction,
1T Ia not at all intended here to
say that any wage rates that your
| board might award to meet the in
creased cost Of living should be taken
away again as fast as. and in the
same percentage az. the cost Of liv-
ing comes down. This would be in
effect to decree that railroad en-
ployes should remain in the same
comparative situation they were in
before your award. We are not ask
ing or suggesting this. but it, az costs
OF living go down toward the pre-
war basis. less than proportionate
decrease in basic wages were pro-
vided for. the employees would be bet
ter and better OFF. as compared with
pre-war conditions, in spite of such
reductions"
The rev transportation act pro-
vides Mr. Whittier said. that any sub
stantial increase In wages must re-
suit in increased rates to the public
for railroad service. For every $780,
100000 added to the pay roll about
per cent must be added to freight
rates. he said. The carriers are now
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission asking for an increase Of 20
per cent, largely to provide for the
billion dollar pay roll advance under
government control and operation.
tiHes' statement the railroad board ad-
journed until tomorrow.
All members were present at the
opening session
Statement BY BrotherAoods,
The heads Of the railroad brotherhoods
have issued a statement expressing
apprehension as to the effect of fur
ther delay in meeting the workers
request for increased wages. The
brotherhood officers arrived in Chi
cago for the resumption Of hearings
before the Railway Labor Board on
tho question OF a general wage ad-
vance for railway employees
The statement says. in part:
"Of the whole army Of wage work
ers In the transportation Industry in
the United States today ~ per cent
OF their families are underfsd. 80 per
cent are underclothsd and 81 per
! cent Of them are overcrowded or in
! adequately housed. On the basis of
what 10 accepted AZ the most accurate
! estimate Of q bare subsist ence level
Of earnings which IL $1,000 a year,
workers are attempting to maintain
their families below a bare subsist-
enca level. More than 500. 900 railway
"rployss do not earn In a normal
s wo,k.ng s.: year ,s M:o7s: below which
J families are undernourished and
seven ei9hths are undsrclad.
The average yearly wage paid to
the entire number OF railroad workers
| In the Unitsd States today 10 81. ESQ 80
| for a normal working year Of 5os
eight hour days. allowing nothing
for sickness. emergency or irream-
larity Of employment. Compared with
/ 9l.7o0. the lowest subsistence wage
/ budget worthy of consideration. and
$2.S33. the bureau of labor statistics
minimum comfort budget for Wash-
ington: d. G.. this average alone
should hs sufficient to compel fmms-
diats relief for tho railroad workers