Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-18
10 PER CEN I
WAGE GUT IS
ROADS R|;||.0 D !. WISH
Executives Association
Reiterate Intention Of
Asking Reduction.
Chairman Says Benefits
May Then Be Passed
Along to the Public.

New York. Oct. 17.4The railroads
of the United States. through the AS
sociation of Railway Executives. Mon
day night reiterated their intention OF
making immediate application to the
Railroad Labor board '.for a reduction
in wages of train service employees suf-
Ificient to remove the increases made by
the Labor Boards decision of July 20
1920. (which would involve a further
production of approximately 10 per
lcent), and for a reduction in the wages
,of all other classes of railroad labor. to
+! the going rate for such labor in the
several territories where the carriers
operate. -
Accordingly. with such reduction in
wages. a statement Of the association
! said. THE benefit Of the reduction thus
fobtained shall, with the assent of the
Interstate commerce commission. be
passed on to the public in the reduction
Of existing railroad rates. except inso-
far as this reduction shall have been
made in the meantime"
Have Made Redactisns
Thomas Dewitt Cuyler. chairman Of
the association, declared that the prop
osition of the public group of the labor
board that the II per cent wage reduc-
ton recently authorized be translated
into lower freight rates before asking
for more wage reductions. had not been
formally brought to it's attention, the
information being obtained from the
press.
After asserting that ''the intimation
of the public members of the railroad
labor board is that the public has no
benefit from the IL per cent reduction
in wages authorized in July, Mr. Guy
ler declared that there have been. in
fact, extensive reductions, most of them
voluntary. in railroad rates, bringing
about large loss in earnings to the
railroads"
The reduction Of wages made on
July L. he added, was put into effect
only after many freight reductions had
previously been made.
Cites Long List
In support of his claim, Mr.. Cuyler
cites n long list of reductions made
after July !. including "a reduction on
cargo coal from points in Ohio. West
ern Pennsylvania. West Virginia. to
Lake Erie ports, affecting from August
l to October some 14.7OO,0O0 tons, on
which the actual loss of revenue to rail-
roads amounted to S4116.OOO.
1kEuuSJIoAS dlSO Hau Uecu mA0C. ne
said. on grain and grain products, road
making materials. export iron and steel
products and scores of other commodi-
ties, so that Ion some railroads the
reductions in rates have amounted to
more than the reductions in wages so
Far made, and on many other railroads
the reductions in wages allowed no re-
turn on operations. but merely provid-
ed against the further accumulation of
4 deficit
Time for Strike
+. d. Underwood. president. Of the
Erie railroad. expressed the hope that
he strike would actually occur. This
$ the time and the place for it." he
declared. adding that the strike was
me against the umpire or the Unit
ID States Railroad Labor board.
The real purpose is not appreciated
". some. Of u.s." he said. TT is to |
,ring about government control--the |
lesire of all labor bodies, some part
4 the public and some members Of |