The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-31
ATrEFRBuRY WOULD HAVE
IMMEDIATE ANNuLMENT OF
NATIONAL WAGE AGREEMENT
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ment says, continue to cause gross
waste and inefficiency.".
Il estimate chat the elimination Of
this waste would reduce railway oper-
ating expenses at least 100000, ,ooO
per annum.
We believe that as the wages Of
railroad employees were tho las; to so
up, they would DE the last to come
down, but we do insist that for an
ample wage an hones days work
shall be given.
The public has 4 right to insist
that ,his must be obtained. The pub
lie has also the right TO expect that
the railway executives with the CO.
operation Of the rcgulW Org bodies and
the employees, will as rapidly as pos
sible reduce the cost o, railway oper-
ations so as TO eventually insure a
reduction in rates. Ultimately 4 read
justment of basic wages will be re-
qured. Meantime il is to the inter-
eys OF all concerned, including labor
that the rules and working conditions
shall be made conducive to the high
est efficiency in output per man.
The railroad committee presenting
evidence OF the abroGation Of the ma
tional agreements have far from ex-
hausted their evidence on this SUBJ
ject. But II will be. dangerous 20 con-
tinue the consideration OF these agree
ments, rule by rule. If the board fol-
lows its present procedure, months
will elapse before il can render its
decision.
The urgent financial necessities Of
the railroads will not perms, them 10
wait any such length OF time for
relief. Long before the present detail
cd hearings are concluded the board
will be flooded by appeals from in,]i-
vidual railroads from al! parts OF the
country for reduction in basic wages.
il will be impossible .or the board TO
hear and dispose of these separate
cases upon their merits in time to
avoid numerous receivershirs and the
possibility Of a national panic. Losses
Of railway net operating income are
irreparable. You cannot make retro
active tomorrow the savings that
should have been made today.
Your board cannot possibly write
the rules and working conditions Of
every railroad in this country and ad-
JUS, them equitabiy TO varying geo.
graphical operating and social con-
ditions.
III rests entirely with your board
to determine in the next few days
whether this whole situation shall
drift into chaos and orderly procedure
become impossible except at the price
of railroad bankruptcy, financial dis
astcr and still wider unemployment.
THE course which We are recon-
mending is not only imperative. but
equitable.
"Perpetuation OF the extraordinary
provisions Of the war period as the
normal rules and working conditions
would be a distinct violation OF the
Wromises Of President Wilson TO in
vestors in railway securities, when
the carriers were taken over By the
federal railroad administration In De-
cember, 1917, Mr.. Atterbury declared.
Investors were guaranteed, he said.
that their rights and interests would
be as scrupulously guarded by the
government as they had been by the
directors of the rail systems AMI that
federal control would be carried on
with as little disturbance as possible
Of the personnel OF The road.
Conditional upon the abrogation Of
the national agreements by the labor
board the roads ask in addition that
the basic rates for unsldlled labor
be fixed al 80 10 isE cents per hour
in the award of July 1920, be imme-
diately retracted. The plea is male
that inasmuch as rates for unskiled
labor In other industries have been
greatly reduced since the award be-
came effective, the higher scale on
the railroads works 10 The disadvant-
age of other employers and bears
with grave injustice upon the great
I body Of our farmers"
The appeal Of the railway executives
is concluded with the declaration that
''in our judgment, unless the propos-
ed measures be taken promptly by
your board, situation will shortly
develop in which orderly procedure
Will become entirely impossible"