Evening star., 1920-05-09
CLAIMS R. R. MEN
LIVE IN POVERTY
w. Jett Lauck Pleads Living
& Wage Before Rail
Labor Board.

Concluding arguments Of the united
railway employees for the establishment
Of a minimum living wage in the in
dustry and guaranteed pay increases to
all workers to meet the increasing cost
of living were made before the United
states Railroad Labor Board yesterday
by w. Jett Lauck. former secretary of
The national War Labor Board, who Is
consulting economist for the seven
teen railroad brotherhoods and unions.
Placing the sum of $2.500 as the very
least upon which an American family
can maintain itself in even decent pow
erty under existing conditions. MIR.
1.auck submitted to the board tables.
tabu!ations and compilations to show
that only 81. per cent of the whole army
Of railroad workers are receiving a llv-
ing wage today. and he asserted that this
small percentage is composed OF DIVISION
officials. general mechanical foremen.
other supervisory groups and road pas
senger engineers and motormen
Families Live I'm Poverty.
"Of the whole army Of wage work
ers in the transportation industry IN
tine United States today. said MT.
I.auck. IA per cent of their families
are underfed. SO per cent are under
clothed and 81 per cent of them are
overcrowded or inadequately housed.
the most accurate estimate of a bare
subsistence level of earnings. which is
S1.io0 per year. 50 per cent OF the
countryS railway workers are at
tempting to maintain their families
below a bare subsistence level. More
than 100000 railway employees do not
earn. in a normal working year, $1.073,
below which figure nearly three
quarters of the families are under
nourished and seven-eighths are un-
derclad.
Here is the entire transportation
system of the country. not with its un
skilled alone below the level of sub
sistence, but with seven-eighths Of
its entire working force below this
level, and large proportion actually
below the starvation wage. Whole
elasses-the largest classes in the rail-
way Seryice-muSt face the prospect
Of seeing their families without the
barest necessities of physical wellbe-
ing. while only small proportion can
look forward. after nearly a lifetime
OF service. to attaining an approxima-
tion to normal comforts.
These statements are made con-
servatively. They are made on the
basis of the most reliable figures in
existence in the world today on the
effect of various income levels on
family life. namely. the studies made
for the Russell Sage Foundation by Dr.
Robert Cote Chaplin. scrupulously re-
NiScu as ol tnlS udt6.
Says S1.:SO.3O Ii Average Fay,
The average yearly wage paid to
the entire number of railroad workers
IN the United States today is $1.2SO 30
Jor normal working year OF 800
eiEht-hour days. allowing nothing for
sickness. emergency or irregularity of
employment. Compared with $1,10O
the lowest subsistence wage budget
worthy of consideration. and S2.533
the bureau Of labor statistics mini
mum comfort budget for Washington.
d. e, this average alone should be
Sumclent TO compel immediate relief
1or the railroad workers of the coun-
Try. So great is the issue that there
can be no question as TO the practi-
cabfiity of paving rates which will
make possible for 100000 families =
standard of health and reasona bic
comfort Let no one dare to saw that
II would be good thing if il were
>cnIy possible. No such ifs are per-
missible. A living wage is the oniy
practicable answer to the present in
dustrial situation. 1t is the only nos
sIbIe answer in terms or citizenship.
Any other answer will only POSTPONE
the settlement until conditions render
real solution more difficult-if not
forever impossible"
Later the board announced that II
had denied hearing to the American
Train Dispatchers' Association on the
ground that its application did not
comply with the provisions of the
law. '"s