The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03
KNIFE IS 0N SALARY
Decisive Action BY the
Federal labor Board
lO4 ROADS AFFECTED
General Average decrease Placed
At Twelve Pr Cent; Story
OF This Case
TAssociated fress Dispatchl

4
ASSOCIATED rress Dispatehl
Chicago, June approximately
two thirds of the wage increase grant
ed railroad employees last July by the
railway labor board was ordered de-
ducted beginning IIly in the boards
do>ssSn ANNOUNCED today. From the
increase last year of $600,000,0O0 a
year in salaries of railroad labor,
nearly $400, O00,000 will be cut 1t is
estimated, by the reductions directed
In the case of the general class OF
maintenance of way laborers, the en-
tire increase Of s " cents an hour was
withdrawn, whileHin others OF the
classes having the larger number OF
employees, the cuts ranged from thir-
teen to eight and ten to six cents an
hour, as compared with the award OF
last July.
Although the wage cuts are to ap-
petitions for the decreases, the boards
announcement said that application OF
other roads would cause the same re-
auctions to be placed in effect on
these lines. The decreases, it is es-
timated, eventually will affect two
million men. The general average
decrease is placed at twelve per cent,
as compared with an average of TWEEN
ty- one per cent increase granted last
July Union leaders withheld COM
ment of the boards decision but it
the railway employees leaders here
during the boards hearings on the
decreases that cuts of ten to twelve
per cent would meet little opposition
Meetings 6rothefI1oods Called.
Leaders of the four big railroad
brotherhoods have called meeting
here for July. i, when the wage de-
creases are effectixe, to discuss the
award. H. q. Byrafn, president of the
and s n. Felton, president Of tbs
,,that the reductions granted were mo-
sufficient to meet the demands of the
| situation"
In supplemental memorandum the
board points out that during govern
| ment control the wages OF railway
| employees were increased from an ay
erage of SIS a1month, in December
1917, to $116 in January. 1920, and to
Sal by the increase of last July
employees, chiefly those unskilled the
board said, had received increases APP
proximating one hundred per cent with
| the award of last July, the average in
crease over the pay prior to federal
control was eighty one per cent.
The board estimates the present
cut would mean IAN average month
salary of about S125 for all employees
but such an average means, that while
workers would earn sum consider
ably in excess of this, many thousands
would fall far short of that figure"
Reductions Ordered.
Following are the reductions order
ed for some of the principal classes of
railroad employees:
Classification May 1, 1920, effective
July /, 1921. XXI.
Clerks (hour), thirteen cents. six
cents.
Maintenance of way laborers (hour)
81 cents to 81 cents.
Track foremen (hour), Is cents to
10 cents.
Signal department (hour). 10 cents
to cents.
Shop crafts (hour). 10 cents to
| cents.
Telegraphers (hour), 10 cents to G
| cents.
Passenger engineers and firemen, 80
cents a day to six cents an hour.
Freight engineers and firemen, 81. O4
day to eight cents an hour.
Yard engineers and firemen, eigh-
teen cents an hour to eight cents an
hour :
Passenger conductors and brake.
men, $50 a month to 71a cents an
! hour ~
Freight conductors and brakemen
81 day to eight cents an hour.
| Yard conductors and brakemen
eighteen cents an hour to eight cents
an hour.
Stationary engineers, firemen and
oilers, thirteen cents an hour to eight
| cents an hour.
Holsters outside. $1.44 day tc
eight cents an hour
Hostlers inside. $1.44 a day te
eight cents an hour.
The increase granted to take effect
May, 1920, were estimated as fol.
lows, according to the proportions
granted the chief classes benefited by
the increase:
y, Clerks s and freight handlers, $685.
| 100000 year.
Maintenance of ways employees
| $160,000,000.
al Train service employees. $4,000
Shopmen. $4,000, 900.
History OF Wages Reduction Hearing
Wage reductions ordered by the Rail-
road Labor Board today resulted from a
winch ed sans to w ssseas 81
one or more classes OF employees The
hearing began on April s and the labor
and railroad representatives were each
granted one week to present their cases
The final date for submitting evidence
was set for May 1s and the Board has
been at work on the case constantly
| since that date. 70.
| Reduction in the wages of laborers in
other industries and the declining cost OF
living were set forth by the railroads as
the basis of their plea for lower wage
scales; The winter slump in business
materially FASTENED action in the endea-
\ pay roll and many railroad officials de-
cisred before the board that their roads
would be in the hands of receiyesrs un-
/ less immediate relief was provided
The campaign for lower wages was
begun IN February when Brig. Gen. ~