Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-20
SixtyPer Centof
Demands Are
Granted.
Rods WILL RAISE
FARES SIMILARLY
Union Officials Call
Meetings to Consider
Increases AH0Ued.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO, July 20.-Six hundred
msllion dollars was added to the pay
envelope of the nations 2,0oo,ooo rali-
road workers today in the first award
handed down by the United states
Railway Labor Board.
Rejecting the demands of the or
eanized rail unions for increases TO
falling approximately 81 ,000, ,OOO,0O0 tne
board decided approximately 90 per
cent of that sum would be just IN
crease to meet present living conoi-
tions. O.,
per cent to the present pay scheduies.
Railroad officials have declared tnat
any pay increase awarded the men
must be followed by corresponding
increase in rates and & they ;,P plan the - ms
terstate Commerce Commission as
soon as they can be prepared
Unions Go Into Conference.
Whether the award as given still
slaves off the threat of a general rail-
road strike remains to be seen. The
leaders of practically every one OF
the sixteen big railroad unions were
present this morning when Judge X
NJ. Barton. chairman OF the board,
handed down the decision They left
Immediately to present the AWARD TO
1000 general chairmen, who had gath
cred here to pass on its acceptabll1ty.
The union presidents refused to
make any comment before the meet
ing. The approximate terms of the
decision had been known to them
yesterday and they believed then their
men would stay in line, at least until
referendum vote can be taken. Near
ly a month will be needed for the
referendum.
Retroactive Until May I.
10 pfsvA
The maximum increase granted any
class was IS cents an hour, or $36.7z
per month. The biggest pay check
made August 1 will be for $11016. En-
gineers, firemen and helpers in the
yard service will receive this amount.
The board provides that the back
arately, so that each man will know
the amount he receives from that
source.
Seven things were taken into con-
the preamble of the boards announce
ment says. They were: The scale
paid for similar kinds of work in
other industries; the relation between
wages and the cost of living; the
hazards of the employment; training
and skill required; degree of respon-
sibility; character and regularity of
the employment, and inequalities in
nCfeaSeS ana treatment RESULTING
from previous wage orders
Those persons who consider the rates
determined on herein too high should
reflect on the abnormal conditions re-
sulting from the high cost of living and
the high rates now being paid In other
industry" the board said.
THE employees who may think these
rates too low should consider the in
creased burden these rates will place on
their fellow countrymen. many of whom
N.
selves.
DeeiAi0n Not UAAnimous.
'aThe board has endeavored to fix such
wages as viii provide decent living
and secure for the children of the wage
earners opportunity for education, and
yet to remember that no class of Ameri-
cans should receive preferred treatment
and that the great mass Of the people
must ultimately pay great part Of the
increased cost of operation entailed by
the increase in wages determined here
in"
The decision, it was explained, was
not unanimous one, some members dis
senting on nearly every section. The
on each section, with at least one MEM
ber Of the public group voting for each
award.
Demands Of the railroad men who
are ignored by the board. No reference
is made to the strikers or their de-
mands. The board had refused to hear
representatives of the new unions, hold
men were already represented by the
officials of the recognized unions.
Made Party to Decision.
In addition to the sixteen recognized
brotherhoods. two other unions, the In
ternational Association of Railroad Su-
peryiscfs Of Mechanics and the Ameri-
can Train Dispatchers' Association, are
made a party to the decision. More thar
400 railroads are specifically named as
parties.
The decision provides that in case OF
a dispute as to the Interpretation of the
decision the question shall be referred
to the board for decision. The law does
not require. however. that either side
must accept the award.
The decision provides that the daily
increase shall be computed as eight
times the hourly rate. and the monthly
increase as 204 times the hourly sched-
ule-
An IS per cent increase in freight
rates will be necessary to meet the
21 per cent wage award granted rail-
road employees today, E. T. Whittier
representative of the roads in the
hearings before the railway labor
board. announced.
The new railroad unions, which
called the series of strikes this spring
after their members had broken away
will submit the boards decision to a
referendum vote of their membership
John Gruneau. president of the Chi
cago Yardmen's Association, announc-
ed today.
Will Accept Awards.
The railroads, Mr Whittier an.
nounced after a conference with the
Western Managers Association, will
accept the boards award and apply
it's terms Immediately. The aware
speaks for itself" Mr.. Whittier. said
ut means. of course, that the road.
must ask for increased rates. TX
meet the boards estimated $500, ,000
600 increase will require an increas<
of about Is per cent in freight rates
Presidents and general officers o.
the five big brotherhoods went int
executive session Immediately aftel
the decision was handed down and in
dicated they would have nothing Il
say before late today. W. G. Lee
Cleveland. president of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen, said al
the eighteen organizations made
party to the award would hold sep
arate sessions this afternoon. fol.
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