The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-27
R.R. WAGE CUTS
NOW EXTENDED
TO EVERY ROAD
Federal Board Extends Its De-
cisiOn of June 1.
Full Reduction of S4OO,OOO,OOO
OF Pay Rolls.
21O LINES AFFECTED NOW
Employees Are Expected to Ac-
cept the Slash.
Railroad Heads Want All OF
1920 Hike Wiped Out.
Federal Board Extends Its De
cisiOn of June 1.
Full Reduction of 4OO,OOO,OOO
OF Pay Rolls.
21O LINES AFFECTED NOW
Employees Are Expected to Ac-
cept the Slash.
Railroad Heads Want All OF
1920 Hike Wiped Out.

Chicago, June 27.-The United
States railroad labor board today ex-
tended it's wage reduction order effec-
tive July 1 to practically every large
railroad in the country. The average
u per cent reduction was granted to
1O4 carriers on June I. The boards
order today covered 210 roads.
The only new cuts in today's rul-
ing are those for the floating equip
nent employees and for restaurant and
dining car workers. They are cut In
the same ratio as the regular railway
employees. There is, however, IN the
addendum specifically clause to
the individual wage slashings that
shall be made in some twenty-seVen
or more classes of general railway
workers. The slashes, previously de-
cided upon, but detailed today, make
cuts from to 13 cents an hour.
The new wage decision of the
United States railroad labor board
makes reality of the estimated four
hundred million dollars annual saw
ings expected when the boards IL per
cent cut. effective July l, is applied TO
all employees on all railroads known
as class 1 carriers.
The decision, drawn up as an ad-
dendum to the wage reduction order
of June l. adds practically every rail-
original list of 104 roads authorized
to make the 2 per cent reduction.
Makes Full $4OO, ,OOO,O 900 Cut.
When the reduction order was is
sued, it was estimated that if applied
to al, employees on all class roads. 1t
would lop Approximately four hun
dred E.illion dollars from the coun-
try's railroad labor bill.
The new decision makes this cut
possible by ordering reduced wages
for employees not included in the orig
inal case and also by including EN-
ployes on roads which were not
parties to the first hearing.
Immediately following the an
nouncement OF the boards wage cut
on June 1. roads from every Sec
tion Of the country poured in their ap-
plications to the labor board for au
thority to make similar reductions.
A hearing set for June included a
total of 164 roads and in the next two
weeks siXty-one more submissions
were made and included in hearing
for June 20.
A few roads which had not included
all classes of employees in their first
petitions for reductions, came in with
the remaining classes in the last hear
ing. Many of the roads which asked
reductions for only a part of their en-
ployes at the original hearing in May,
came back with applications to cover
all employees in these two later hear
ings
Virtually every railroad in the coun-
try affected by the labor boards six
hundred million dollar wage award of
July, 1920, was included in one or
more of the three hearings.
r. II. Not Satisfied.
Following the twelve per cent re-
ducton, which was generally unsatis-
factory to the roads. the carriers re-
turned to the board with added insist
ence that the 1920 wage award be
wiped out. The board, however, was
not inclined to change its scale of re-
ductions determined in the June
decision and merely added to that de-
cision employees involved in the subse-
quent hearings.
At the two June hearings, the roads,
for the most part, contented them
selves with reiterating the evidence
presented in May. Their arguments
consisted chiefly of cost of living sta
tistics and comparison of railroad
wages with those in outside industries.
Expect Employees to Accept.
The employees took up other factors
laid down by the transportation act
to be considered in the determination
of employment, the living wage and
similar lines of evidence were intro
duced in an effort to prevent any cut
in wages.
While no definite returns have been
announced from the referendum being
taken by all the railway unions on
acceptance or rejection of the IL per
cent cut it was expected that confer
ences here on July 1 would agree to
accept the boards decision without
any interruption of traffic.
The session of the big four broth
erhoods. originally set for Chicago to-
day, will not be assembled until Fri
day. BY that time the vote on the
acceptance of the wage cuts will have
been completed and the result will be
announced. Other railway unions
will assemble here at the same time
to take action.