Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-07-21
STRIKE MENACE
ISM 7 REMOVED
BY RAIL MEN s
WAGE INCREASE
Brotherhood Officials Make
No Attempt to Conceal
Their Disappointment Over
Decision of Board
PROBABLY WILL REFER
THE QUESTION TO MEN
Award, Probably Without
Recommendation, viii Be
Put Up to the Employees
and Let Them Vote On It,

lbf MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASGD WiRtl
Chicago, July 20 (by the Associ-
ated Press. )--Whethe the specter
of a wide railway strike has
been laid by the $6O0,O0O,O00 wage
increase granted today to more
than 100000 railroad employees
tonight remained undecided,
Brotherhood officials made no
attempt to conceal their disappoint-
ment that they did not get all of
the billion dollar increase they
asked. The belief grew, however,
that they would submit the award,
probably without recommendation
to referendum of the men. A de-
cision on this point was promised
tomorrow by w. G. Lee of Cleve-
land, grand president of the Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen.
No Outlaw Strike.
There will be no illegal, out
law, rebel, sporadic or immediate
railroad strike" Mr.. Lee said.
Whether the railroad wage award
is accepted or rejected, the union
action will be concerted and de-
sssas.
The various brotherhood groups
conferred far into the night but
no announcement was made by
any of them as to what action
had been taken. Each group will
report at a general meeting to-
at which it was expected
a decision would be reached.
1t was reported tonight that
four courses of action were under
consideration. Acceptance under
protest; acceptance with pro-
vision that new wage requests
would be formulated later; sub
of the awards to refer
endum vote of members for ac-
tion, and a fiat rejection with
plenary powers invested in the
leaders to call a strike.
Railroad representatives accept
ed the award philosophically and
set about plans for
passing the 5000, ,000, addition to
their wage budget a,ong TO the ul-
innate consumer-in this case the
man who pays the freight. Armed
with reliable advance knowledge as
to what the award would provide,
the railroads had their figures
ready.
Need Rate Increase.
Judge r. NJ. Barton, chairman
of the United States railway labor
board, had hardly handed down his
decision when E. r. Whittier, repre-
senting the more than four nun
dred railroads involved, announced
that the roads would need an ad-
vance of Is per cent in treight
rates to meet the boost.
The Interstate Commerce COM
will be asked to spread the
increase over both freight and pas
senger rates.
The $500, 100000 award repre-
sents a II per cent increase III the
pay of the railroad men. For the
first time in history the roads pay
rolls this year will pass the three
billion dollar mark. Mr.. winter eS
the 1920 pay rolls at
1894, 100000, more than doup'e
the S1,46S,576,394 paid in 1916.
Retroactive 10 May !.
The boards award was MADE re-
troactive to May 1. with provision
that back pay for three months
falls due August !, when sl50,oVo,-
600 is to be distributed in addition
to the regular pay.
In its decision the board followed
the broad general policy laid down
by the Lane commission, appointed
in 1918, that the men who recelVeu
the least should ges the most. On
a percentage basis, the biggest IN
creases went to the unskilled ana
labor. .,,
The one notable exception TO tIIs
general rule was the yard service
men, whose 18 cents an hour m
crease topped all others. Here, the
board, explained, the deciding rae
tors we're the extreme hazard TO
life and limb and the degree OF
skill required.
May End Wage Demands.
Today's award, If 1t IS accepteu
by the men, will bring to a close
for the present. the board believes,
the seemingly endless cycle OF wage
demands from the railway work.
ers. Starting with the demands Oh
1915. which We're met for time
by passage of the Adamson law,
there has been many appearances
of rail unions before various gov
ernment boards and commissions,
all demanding changes in pay
When the government took con-
troll of the roads in December, 1915
II found pending requests from
many unions for more money. Ine
Lane committee responded with q
graduated scale ranging from 45
per cent increase for the poores'
paid men, to nothing for those get
ting above $24s month. A series
of adjustments followed.
Request From Shop Crafts.
In January, 1919, Director Gen.
cral McAdoo received a request
lC0ntinued on Page Two)