Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-08
RAILWAY WORKERS
ASKLABOR BOARD
/ FORALW|NG WAGE
Lauck, in Concluding Argu-
ment, Says Family Of Five
Needs $2,5O Year.

ISabors argument on the wage de-
mands OF the 100000 railway work.
ers Of the country was concluded be-
fore the Railroad Labor Board today
by W. ]. Lauck. former secretary of
the War Labor Board. appearing on
behalf Of the railroad brotherhoods
and unions.
Mr.. Lauck asked the board to es-
tablish n minimum living wage for
unskilled railroad workers. with q
differential above that for skill, haz-
ard and responsibility.
Early Decision Urged.
Early decision by the board was
urged by Mr.. Lauck, who declared that
1t was feared delay would mean seri-
Gus disturbance to transportation. He
asked the board to decide the question
Of whether railroad men were receiv-
ing living wage at present without
the voluminous data prepared by the
railroads. The cost to th( railroads
OF the increases asked and the pos
sibility Of higher freight rates are not
determining factors in deciding the
wage controversy, he argued
At the end of the hearing Chairman
Barton announced that the board would
discontinue public hearings until May
II. when the board will be established
in Chicago. unless 1t should be decided
to grant a hearing to one application
now pending. The application pending
is understood to be from the American
Train Dispatchers' Association. a rival
organization to the Order Of Railroad
telegraphers. whose demands have been
presented. Chairman Barton said that
executive sessions will be held constant
ly between now and the 18th. in order
that the board may proceed as rapidly
as possible to digest the wage infor-
nation before It.
Minimum OF &2,S00 Needed.
A minimum Of $4,000 a year is neces-
sary for the support Of an American
family Of five, Mr.. Lauck told the board.
profiteers for present living costs. He
presented to the board>a compilation Of
| budgets on the cost OF living based ON
! studies made under his supervision and
by federal and state agencies.
"It is impossible" he said. 'fof q
family Of five in the United States
to maintain itself even in decent pow
penny less than $4,000 a year."
Figures Are Supported.
His estimate. he said. was supported
by government agencies and quoted
the estimate made by Prof. Royal o
Meeker, commissioner OF labor 6tatis
| tics. in August. 1919. That estimate
was $z.262. The estimate for May. he
insisted. should be $2,533.
| Mr.. Lauck in his statement declared
that 'the fundamental cause OF III
economic instability. all industrial un-
rest, all Interruptions OF production
and distribution has been high prfces
and prof1teering by organized capital
and middlemen and retailers.
Both during and since the war the
public has been and now 10 virtually
at the mercy of Unsuitable SPECTATORS
and constituencies financial ghoulR"
Packers Make Reply.
Figures presented by Mr.. Lauck be-
fore the board last night were char
of Packers as unreliable and an ex-
travaEant exaggeration SO far az they
attempt to set forth profits In this
industry"
The only fair way Of measuring
packers profits as to their effect on
the packer takes advantage Of pro-
ducer or consumer. Is to compute ths
rate of profit per dollar of sales and
per pound Of products II this amount
were eliminated there would be no
noticeable difference in retail prices.
On a pound Of product It amounts to
only fraction of cent.
''It is true that the packers made .
greater volume profit in 1918 than in
1914, but the compiler of the statistics
submitted to the Railroad Labor
Board has overlooked the fact that
the volume Of business has increased
in about the same proportion as the
volume Of profits. and that, as q mat
ter of fact the percentage OF the
profits was approximately the same"