The Washington herald., 1920-03-22
FREIGHT RATES
MUST BE RAISED
81 100. .000,0o0 Increase
Demand Of Employees Goes
To Railroads Today.
coSrrsuEp FROM PAGE ONE.

~ hO8 = 2o1 ON1s
All others-Is17 payroll. si73.ooey-
600: 1890 payroll. ts25.ooo.ooo: in
crease, $4,000 900.
Totai-isf7 payroll. s1.7fo.o0o.o 900;
1920 payroll. s2a7p.ooo, 900: tfersase.
si.o3o. 100000.
But in the last eight months of
government operation new wage de-
fnands kept on accumulatine. While
the leaders OF some OF the more
conservative unions. notably War
ren s. Stone. of the locomotive en-
gineers; l.. Z. Sheppard. Of the con-
ductors. and w. @. Lee. of the train
men. believed that further large
wage increases would only increase
production costs and living costs.
and urged a waiting policy. the
radical labor leaders, especially In
the shop crafts, were insistent on
further wage advances. The result
was that the eicohservatives, for self
protection. had to follow along with
the radicals and make proportionate
demands.
All Turned hack.
All of these demands. covering
1,SUv,0gU o. tHe I.y5u,uVU employees.
have now been turned over 10 tne
railroad companies. These demands,
by classes of employees. are esti-
mated by railroad managers as fol-
lows:
$4,000 engineers. fremen, con-
ductors, brake emen and ysrdmen
ask for increased wages OF $780,
100000. an average increase per
man of $50.
4T3.ooo shopmen (machinists. boil
ermakers, blacksmiths. carpenters.
painters. electricians, car rePairers.
! ete.) ask for an increase Of s1s4,-
100000. an average increase per
| man of $3.50
5ss,000 maintenance of way men
| (section men and foremen, unskiIled
workers, enginehouse men. etc.) ask
for an increase f s4e1. 600. .00o, an
increase per man of s6Se.
$4,000 telegraphers, block opera
tors and station agents ask for an
| increase of $50. 100000. an average
per man of $540.
$4,000 clerks, messengers, etc,
| ask for an increase of s175. 100000.
an average per man of $3.50.
Sample of New Payroll.
The new railroad payroll. as pro-
posed by the employees spekesmen.
would be approximately as follows:
Train crews Present payroll,
| sT0s, ,0e0 ,0e0; new demands. s2s0,0oo,-
! 600: new payroll proposed, $ssS,eoe.-
00e.
Shopmen-Present payroll, $780,
| 900, 900; new demands, sls4 600, 900;
new payroll proposed, S914,00o,ee0.
| Maintenance of way - Present
| payroll, s577,00e.e00; new demands.
! 3ie1. 100000; new payroll proposed,
| 1918. 200 .000,
4 w.1I
sI15, 200, 200: new demands, $50, ,000,-
zoe; new payroll proposed, $16s, ,0eos-
600.
CIerks-Present payroll. s415, 5,eoe.-
600; new demands. tl75.00o,o0e; new
| payroll proposed, SJs0, 100000.
All others-Present payroll, s225.-
00e, ,000: new demands, o: new pay
roll proposed. s225, 100000.
Total-Present payroll. s2,71o.-
I 100000; new demands, 81, 1,100. zoe, ,oe0;
new payroll proposed. SS,s7o,0oO. .ooe.
On the national wage conference.
called to pass upon these new de-
mahds are seventeen leaders OF '"-
railroad unions and fifteen rail gad
managers. No public representa-
riv"s will sit on the board. The BsT
Railroad Labor Board, authorized By
the transportation act, has not yet
been appointed by the President.
This board will consist of nine meme
bers. three each from the employeS.
the railroad arrangements and the
public. IL will sit in Chicago.
That the sl.eee. 100000 wage de-
mands will eventually come hefose
tue new Labor Board. on which iite
public is represented, is consi6dfed
certainty. Ii is not believed sc
that a conference comInittee IanL0
! up only of employers and empl 1yAs
would have the courage to aS-fs
( TO increase the railroad payroll w
! any large amount. on the SUPP -i-
! tion that the Interstate Comm sr,s
( Commission would under the la' g
| at once Obliged to pass the cos >
/ to the public through increases in
rates. 1t is pointed out that the
very evident purpose OF Congress,
/ in framing the transportation act,
nas 10 put both railroad rates and
+sfr-oa" wages under public con-
troll. While the managements ana
.n.. melt vii have six votes TO the
. nrhli"'s tEreA on the new Labor
Board, the law provides that no
wage award can be made. by this
board which does not have the vote
of at least one of the three repre-
I sentstives of the public.