The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-17
WILLING TO
YIELD PART
IN. DEMAND
Agree Pay Has Not Been
Commensurate With In
creasing High Costs.

Chicago, May 17.-Wage advances
shuuiu De granted to many rail-
road workers to enable Lnem to
meet the nlgn cost OF living. the
Association vi halfway Executives
declared today IN Its opening state
meut before the ralIroad labor
board.
+. T. Whittier, chairman OF the
conference committee OF rail man
ayers, OF the executives assocla-
ton, told the board that some part
of the wage demands being made
by z,UO0,Ovu railway employees prob
apiy wouid be 1ound Jusllneu by
the rise in living costs.
Agreement OF Lne railroads them
selves tnat at least part OF the
men should have more money, Is
expected to go far towards expedit-
! ing settlement of the controversy
which eliminated last month IL .
series OF strikes.
Demands Now Billion.
The demands now before the
board aggregate more than ST.
Vv,VVU ,UvU a year, in addlllon to
bllilon-dollar ADVANCE during the
war and a $500, ,0OU, 900 advance in.
the two years prior to government
control, accorulng to Mr. Winter.
he presented figures to show that
the railway payroll had increased
from 39.5 per cent of the gross
earnings OF the roads in 1919, to
$50 per cent last year.
We appreciate fully" Mr.. Whit
er said, that the increases re-
ceived by some employees in the
last five years have not been COM
mensurate with the increases in
the cost Of living. This fact must
be given consideration by the
board in determining which Of
these employees are fairly entitled
to increases.
Further Appreciations. /
I'VE appreciate also that there
are Other employees VINO are recelv-
ling rates which cannot be cOnsid-
cred at all low, in an absolute
sense, yet which do not compare
favorably in some localities with
wages paid similar occupations in
outside industries; and we further
appreciate that the discrepancies
are such that the railroads canno.
under present conditions in such
localities hold these employees for
their very necessary work unless
some increases are given.
We cannot, of course, hope to
compete with outside rates, cent
for cent per hour, nor should this
be considered necessary. Consid-
Grafton must be given to the great
er regularity OF employment In
railroad service, the greater sta
biiity of railroad rates OF wages,
and to other attractive features Of
railroad employment"
Cost Peak Reached.
The great increase in the cost
OF living, Mr.. Whittier said, was an
evident fact. and wage adjustments
must take this factor into account.
But, he said, the peak in the cost
Of living had probably been reach
ed, and that the board must con-
slider the situation which would be
brought about when it declined. On
this subject he said:
With the forces now at work to
bring about reduction in the high
living cost. it is next to impossible
TO believe that the peak in the in
crease has not been reached. A
. procedure that would fix railroad
. wages permanently on the basis of
the present living cost could hard
: ly be defended. Unless some auto
, matte principle is embodied in the
! award that will readjust rates as
! living costs 60 back or unless some
/ thing is incorporated that will pro-
= vide for review of the award la
ter, any wage rates that may now
be fixed would be practically per-
manent rates.
For Proportionate Fall.
ut is not at all intended here
\ say that any wage rates that your
4 board might award to meet the in.
] creased cost Of living should be
taken away again as fast as. and
in the same percentage as. the cost
of living comes down. But II a.
costs of living go down towards
the pre-war basis, a proportionats
decrease in basic wages we're pro-
vided for, the employees would be
better of. as compared with pre-
war conditions, in spite Of such re-
Iductions."
The new transportation act pro-
vides, Mr.. Whittier said, that any
substantial increase in wages must
result in increased rates to the pub
lie for railroad service. For every
500. .000, 900 added to the payroll
about three per cent must be added
to freight rates, he said. The car
riers are now before the interstate
commerce commission asking for
An increase of IS per cent, largely
to provide for the billion-dollar
payroll advance under government
al control and operation.
Adieurns Till Tomorrow.
Following the reading Of the ex.
ecutives statement the wage board
adjourned until tomorrow.