The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-02-14
LABOR RULES COST
ROADS MILLIONS
Public Directly Interested in
Effort to Stop Drain on
Carriers Income.
BIG SUMS FOR WORK NOT DONE
Railways Asking Labor Board to
Abro0ate WastefuI Agreements
Made Under Federal Control.

rectly interested with the railroads In
cutting down railway operating ex
| penses"
! This is the keynote Of the case pre-
| scented by the railroads to the United
| States Railroad Labor Board, now In
session in Chicago.
| The railroads have submitted evil
| dence to the board to show why the
| National Agreements affecting railway
| shop labor should be abrogated, be-
lieving that this 10 vitality important
step In the process Of reducing op-
Grating expenses.
This step Is not only necessary to
insure adequate earning power to the
railroads, but will make possible an
ultimate reduction in rates.
The agreements were made by the
Railroad Administration just before
total Of the rules and working condi-
lions provided by the National Agree
lnents have increased the operating
expenses of the railroads by hundreds
OF millions, and have decreased the
efficiency and output OF the employees
in other ways resulting in losses
which cannot be calculated in dollars
and cents.
For several weeks the railroads
have been multiplying instances Of the
absurd and extravagant results Of the
labor rules fastened upon them by the
National Agreements.
In one case cited before the board
machinist was paid 1871 hours wages
for work all performed within eight
hours This case illustrated the effect
of the rule that for each "call' the
worker is to be paid five hours wages
even If he works only ten minutes.
The case of car repairer on the
yirginian Railway, who was recently
paid over $1,000 for services which
were never rendered, and in addition
the same amount of overtime as was
made by his gang. was another exam
pie.
In connection with the rule that
none but mechanics or apprentices
shall do mechanics work, the follow
ing was cited to indicate Its unfair
ness:
Five Hours Pay for 80 Minutes Work
sThe FL Paso & Southwestern Rail-
road recently had an engine set out at
Douglas, and about the time 1t was
ready to go to it's train 1t developed
that window light was broken In the
cab. 1t was necessary for the foreman
to call a carpenter to do the work that
he could have performed himself in a
few minutes. The train was delayed
one hour and 30 minutes, and the en-
ployee called to do the work was paid |
five hours for work requiring 80 min
utes."
The lnefficiency created In infiexible |
application Of the rules contained in
the agreements In question was Illus
trated in the following actual case
which recently occurred on the Balti-
more 4 Ohio Railroad:
can engine was placed in the
shops for certain repairs. Because
of the provisions of the National
Agreement, 1t was necessary that
members of Ave crafts perform
parts OF this work; formerly, the
entire operation was performed by
the members OF but two crafts"
$500, 900 for Work Not Performed
How the railroads OF the country
we're compelled to pay almost $780,
700 In the hrst six months Of 1920 for
fleets OF but one Of the 1872 rules In
luded in the Shop Crafts National
Agreement was shown in the testi-
nony.
This punitive payment for work new
r performed was required by a clause
n the National Agreement, which pro-
ides that when employees are re-
uired to check in and out on their
wn time they will be paid one hour
xtra at the close Of each week.
The rigid classifications OF labor,
hen taken in connection with the
lle that requires that a man must
ave four years experience before be-
lg employed to perform any Of the
ork listed in them, result in paying
ties applicable to men who are sup
)sed to be fully qualified for work
hich does not require men of four
ears experience.
To illustrate how the innexfbillties
many OF the rules now enforced op-
ate To mulCL Tie FdllTOdOS OI large
ms for services which In the alb
nee Of these rules could be obtained
r relatively moderate sums, evidence
as laid before the Labor Board show
g that three men who were en-
Dyed at small pumping station in
chigan, performing unskilled work,
,uld, when classified under the rules,
ceive an excess of pay amounting
more than the value of all the wa
pumped and current generated at
S station.
The Chicago testimony contains lit
lily hundreds of instances such as
,se, all supporting the contention of
, railroads that the labor rules I'M
!. which they have been forced to
rk are such as to prevent the "hon-
eficient and economical manage
Mt" demanded by the Transporta-
. Act.