New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-05-08
Roads Attack
Union Claims
AsPropaganda
n.cgare Charges of Waste
= Operation Are False
1, Their Final Appeal
far Reduction i'm Pay
assaiI Living Wage Plea
...srt Minimum Scale Plan
i socialistic and Cite
Drop in Cost of Living

.,ssstivcs nisds she'r anai drive fo'
-. suts on BEHALF of nearly one hun.
4 - rarriers before che Railroad Labor
a..rd to-day. Devoting the major por-
.aa az their argument TO denials Of
"a employees charges of waste and
encouragement, counsel for the roads
s.,lly cast the charges aside as irreie-
,.nt and stood on their original con-
.sntion that wages in outside indus
,,,ss and the cert OF living had de-
tinsd.
TIE board was told by F. ". Sargent.
.alieitor for the Chicago & Northwest
-, that it should consider only the
i,stcrs laid down in the transportation
IT. in fixing jusf and reasonable
cages. w. J. Lau-k, the unions econo-
MIST, had asked the board to abandon
these factors, Mr.. Sargent said, "re-
y.rdless of the productivity of the en-
.Iovee ard of the ability of the in
snstry to maintain the standard thus
4 set up.
snployees did not receive all they were
entitled to under Federal control were
at with the reply that the present
engagements shovld not be called upon
a reimburse their employees for losses
rnder government control.
Expanding upon the theory of q
| standard of living" ..s set forth by the
4 s-ployees, Mr.. Sargent declared that
b set Up such q standard would "im-
sose q greater burden upon all other
.lasses of industry ard all other classes
81 labor than is warranted by or con-
-smulsted in the transportation act"
Calls Theory Impracticabie
TIf the board should set up stand
ard for q so-called living wage Of FIVE,
4 urged by Mr.. Lauck, the board
ssauld also fix q different standard for
different sizes of families and for in
ayidcsls," Mr.. Sargent said. "The very
statement Of the proposition illustrates
how impracticabie II is to apply the
theory. / am rot prepared to admit
hat the wages re contend for would
cot afford living wage.
II msintain that if the former wage
line it became effective, May /, 1920,
Il follows that reduction of com
pensation must be granted now, in view
81 the overwhelming evidence regard
Ing changed conditions in outside in
iastries and in the cost OF living"
Taking Up labor's declaration that
large Improvements would lead to
economies in railroad management, Mr..
- r.
aents suggested would yield econo-
mes, according to the employees, Of
nearly two and half billion dollars"
or almost half of the total annual
operating expenses of all the carriers
u the United States" Just how these
savings could be made with a pay roll
70 ly-0 wa;c1 aggregated 81 per cent
81 the total operating expenses, Mr..
Sargent said, twas quite impossible to
understand
the Chicago & Northwestern, MIR. Sar-
watch could be saved by the proper
pufthase of steel and coal"
10 demonstrate the fallacy of these
claims it is sufficient to point out that
II 1920 the Chicago & Northwestern
only So a ton for all steel rail it re-
CURED" he said. 1.-THE road charged to
operating expenses only the difference
between the price of steel purchased
and the price received for steel SAL
vage6"
Western Roads Reply
Ralph NJ. Shaw, counsel for the Chi
ago Great Western, presented letter
Il the opening of the session to-day,
signed by six Western railway execu-
yves making general reply to the
Employees charges of waste and mis-
Management. Mr.. Shaw argued that
'ne living wage theory was absurd"
and to gauge q mans wages by the
sze OF his family would soon throw
.as burden of giving him q living on
The state.
y The statement, which was signed by
ssaafles 4. Markham, president of the
llanois Central; Hale Holden, presi-
Gsat OF the Chicago, Burlington &
quincy; 4. 2. Byram, president of the
ssaeago, Milwaukee e. St. Paul; w. H.
SMlniey, president of the Chicago &;
.AsOt.lsnEestern; ]. E. German, president
y me Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific,
SAG .. M. FELTON,, president of the Chi
I'm, NASos IAdoSSIu, SdlQs
me sole purpose of these state
s asnsS Is to divert public attention
me board.
They are bald propaganda, intended
. dlscredit private management and
ssomote the Plumb plan.
IN addition to being irrelevant they
sse gross Misrepresentation of rail
"sy management, and their tendency
-aa purpose are to mislead the public
"A letter signed by W. H. Finley,
a,ssioent Of the Chicago & Northwest
sa, Ssid that nearly all the improve
s,sass proposed by the employees were
a.. sas0 on his. road, and that in the
ny tnree months of 1921 the company
nso Seil Iaiied TO make operating ex-
ssIToss and taxes by $1,26i 1866.
,..v uan Y; Walber, secretary of the Blu.
ssN a OF information of the Eastern
~. Trays, and spokesman for the car.
snns, replied to the theory advanced as
.sassIismental BY the spokesman for the
m;sVyees, that the board shall deter
s and apply q living wage before
wsaas s the roads interests fol-
wage reductions.
:. Based on Socialism
s 81. Walber said, in part:
Isys as railroad managers do not be-
ma taat the people of this country
dsrsssaoy or willing TO accept as fun
so+ Isslnsai an untried theory of state
n. or to countenance the crea-
sssa THIS country of q snper-privi-
Ma esass composed of railroad EN-
tSs 49,. To accept the contention OF
slshss Employees in this case is to accept
trns one OF these and to discard the
rbs,. fundamentals underlying the
st,ss s OF our economic and social
Ii" e cannot admit that the obliga.
inya,aoO pay just and reasonable wages
nrs. paying basic standard mini
siu wage TO every individual en-