The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1921-02-17
WOULD, SAVE $3oo;Oo0,ooo
Lower Cost Of Service Can Be Secured
" Only by Cutting Expense, -
Atterbury Says. -. y -.

MANY FdllfOauS are not now earning,
and with present operating costs and
traffic have no prospect Of earning,
even their bare operating expenses,
leaving them without any net return
and unable to meet their fixed charges.
The emergency presented can be met
either by an advance in freight and
passenger rates, or by reduction in
operating expenses.
With declining prices and wages in
industry and agriculture, the country
demands that the sovency Of the rail-
roads must be assured by reduction
in operating expenses, and not by
further advance of rates.
The National Agreements, rules and
working conditions forced on the rail-
roads as war measures cause gross
waste and inefficiency.
Would Save $aoo,ooo,ooo
. 1 estimate that the elimination Of
this waste would reduce railway OPP
Grating expenses at least $300,000000.
1t would be far better to save this sum
by restoring conditions Of efficient and
economical operation than to reduce
wages.
We believe that as the wages Of rail-
road employees were the last to go up
they should also be the last to come
down, but we do insist that for an am
pie wage an honest days work shall
be given. The public has the right to
insist that this must be obtained.
The public has also the right to- ex-
Eect that the railway executives, with
the cooperation of the regulatory
bodies and the employees, will as rap
idly as possible reduce the cost of rail-
way operation so as to insure eventual.
iy reduction in rates. Ultimately
reimbursement of basic wages will be
required. Meantime it is to the inter-
ests of all concerned, including labor,
that the rules and working conditions
shall be made conducive to the highest
efficiency in output per man.
Losses in Income lrreparable
When wages have been too low the
harm done has been offset by retrOac-
tive increases Losses Of railway net
operating income are irreparable. You
cannot make retroactive tomorrow the
savings that should have been made
today.
The board cannot possibly write the
rules and working conditions of every
railroad in this country and adjust
them equitably to varying geograph-
ical, operating and social conditions
1t rests entirely with the board to
determine whether this whole situa-
ton shall drift into chaos, and or
derby procedure become impossible ex-
cept at the price of railroad bank
ruptcy, financial shock and still wider
unemployment.
The Labor Board can prevent this
catastrophe by declaring that the Ma
tiona' agreements, rules and working
conditions coming over from the war
period are terminated at once; that
the question of reasonable and eco
nomical rules and working conditions
shall be remanded to negotiations be-
tween each carrier and it's own en-
ployees and that as the basis for such
negotiations, the agreements, rules
and working conditions in effect or
each railroad as Of December 81, 1917
shall be re-established.
If the board will do this, the Labor
Committee of the Association Of Rail
way Executives will urge upon ev
cry railroad company party to De
cision No. 2, that no proposal TO!
the reduction of basic wages shall b.
made within the next succeeding nine
ty days. This will afford an oppor
tunity to gauge the economies whic]
can be accomplished through NOR
efficient rules and working conditions.
It also will afford additional tim
In which to realize the benefits of
further decline in the cost Of living.
Relief Imperative and Equitable
The course which we are recon
mending is not only imperative bu
!. equitable. y 49,, ...
The War Labor Board declared tina
the war period was an interregnum, t
be used neither by employer nor en-
ployee for the purpose Of 4betterin
or impairing the position of either.
! l. To perpetuate as the normal rule
and working K conditions on the raj
roads,, the extraordinary provisions
4 the war period is a distinct violatio
Of all promises. D. The war. has no
J been over more than two years = II
!. time has come when, il the railwa,
~ are to be efficiently and economical
. operated, IN accordance with the pr
+ visions Of the Transportation act, no
Z NAL conditions ct employment and /
!. ]; working como itions must be restor.
ash 81 ard increased efficiency 81 tabor !
n red. ) B. s 5z