The New York herald., 1921-03-12
RAILROADS MOVE
TOCUT WAGES OF
MARINE WORKERS
New Scale Will Be Adopted
Monday. Affecting 15.-
600 i'll n. Y. City.
MEMS STAND Is FEARED
Carriers Will Argue They
Put Out S1.0+ for Each
Dollar Taken In.
MILLIONS IN BILLS UNPAID
l.. s. Control Added 26l,000 to
Payrolls-289.000 Laid Off
Since Sept. |.
MILLIONS IN BILLS UNPAID

1,lhtC otpI. =.
The next step the railroads purpose
taking to reduce operating expenses
will affect the marine workers. On
Monday the marine managers of roads
doing business in New York harbor
will adopt a new wage scale for the
employees of their marine depart
ments and will fix upon a date or
dates when representatives of the af-
filiated marine workers will be asked
TO get together and discuss with the
railroad officials the necessity of re-
turning to the wage status immediate
ly preceding July 20. 1920. when the
United States Railroad Labor Board
increased railroad payrolls more than
$606 100000 year.
The method of procedure in the
marine workers cases will not depart
In any particular from that adopted
by the roads in handling their land
forces. The marine workers may
agree or dissent In the latter event
the new scales will go into effect on
stipulated dates and the matter will
be placed before the Railroad Labor
Board.
The only uncertain element in he sit
uation is provided by the men. As a gen.
eral rule, the representatives of the labor
unions are anxious that the labor board
take testimony and review the situation
at once. The union officials are rather
optimistic that the labor board will side
with the employees. But just what will
happen should the board decide for the
roads is, of course, problematical.
Says Wages Have to Drop.
One railroad man Of considerable
prominence said yesterday:
THE board must recognize the meri,
OF our contentious and must permit re.
duction in wages. We cannot go on pay.
ing out s1o4 for every dollar taken In
1t can't be done. Moreover, there is one
great railroad system that may find il
necessary to pass it's dividend for the
first time in forty-six years. Nothing
but financial miracle can avert It,"
In such circumstances (and every
road Is protesting that daylight does not
show between revenue and expenses) II
is difficult to forecast what the roads will
do should tho labor board decide agains,
them.
The general managers OF the railroads
are showing more concern about the at
titude the marine workers will take than
they are regarding the land forces. who
have never shown the readiness to strike
that the harbor workers have. The lat.
ter go out sudde My and with a minimum
of cause. the managers say, and the sit.
uation may become delicate. Incidental.
y. the marine workers reduction will
not be limited to the port OF New York
but. In pursuance of the avowed policy
of all railroads 20 restore themselves e
paying basis, al marine workers oc al
railroads viii be required 10 accept less
money.
There are about $1,000 such workers
| in the port or New York.
From a variety Of sources, each inde-
\ pendent Of the other. came the sugges.
ton Yesterday that il is altogether pos
I siblc that the members OF the four great
I railroad brotherhoods will not be re-
auired TO take less pay. In other words
| for the brotherhoods alone the wage
scale fixed BY the labor boards award
Of last July may continue to obtain
/ One railroad executive said that this Is
/ possible because the highly skilled
/ brotherhood men did not benefit by the
wage increases as materially "a die
l common labor and unskiled mechanics
/ The latter. he said. received wage rises
relatively much greater than did the
brotherhood workers.