The Washington herald., 1921-06-01

Decision Lops $400.0O0.-
600 From Payrolls of !.
Railroads.
OWNERS EXPECTED
LARGER DECREASE
About 1000, 900 Employees
Come Within Glasses
Reduced.

CHICAGO. May 31.-A IL per cent
reduction in the wages Of all
classes of railroad labor. which will
Iop approximately $4o0.o00,oo0 an
nualIy from the payrolls of prac-
tically every railroad in the coun-
try. was announced tonight by the
United States Railroad Labor board.
The reduction will become effec-
tive on July l. 1t will AFFECT near
Iy 100000 railroad employees.
The reduction hits every class Of
railroad employees from engineers to
common labor. While the decision
declares that 1t affects only those
roads which made applications for
wage reduction prior to April Is,
il adds that it will also include
such carriers as may be included
hereafter by addenda, and to the
specific classes of employees named
or referred to under each particular
carrier" Eighty-siX railroads are
included in the decision, and all
other class A carriers will be in
cluded by July 1, as they are given
until that date to file petitions Tor
wage reductions.
Operators Disappointed
Railroad executives expressed dis
appointment in the decision They
said that they had hoped that 1t
would completely wipe out the 20
par cent increase given last year.
providing for a $500. 100000 annual
increase. By this decision the en-
ployesere still the gamers by $780,
OOO, 900 over wages prior to July l,
1920.
Union leaders declined to COM
ment pending study Of the provi-
sions of the decision.
In view of our needs, the deci-
sion falls short of our expecta-
tons" said President H E Byram,
of the Chicago, Milwaukee and 81.
Paul railroad. I'VE had hoped that
II would abrogate the s60o,oO0,0o0
increase of last year. We viii have
to ind out how much this cut VIII
reduce our operating expenses be-
fore making any predictions about
the possibility of a rate decrease.
II is a step in the right direction
however, and should help business
and ultimately the employment
problenn on railroads"
The cuts are based on hourly,
daily and monthly rates of pay, ac-
cording to the class of employees
Means S1;5 Average Pay.
The decision provides for re-
auctions of about IL per cent IN
present wages" the board an
nounced. Because of the fact that
all employees in service of carriers
involved are not included il is difh-
kA
Of decrease, but If applied to all
smpIoyes of all class 1 carriers in
cIuded in the 1920 increases the
aggregate reduction wiuld be ap-
pToximately 100000. 900. General
reductions in wages as outlined
would mean an average monthly
wage OF about s125 for all en-
ployes, but such an average means,
OF course. that while some workers
would earn a sum considerably in
excess of the monthly amount
stated. many thousands would fall
far short OF that figure"
The provisions of the announced
reductions follow:
Conductors. ticket collectors,
brakemen. fiagmen and baggage
men in passenger SERVICE are cut
SIS a month. In freight service
these classes were reduced 81 cents
per day.
Engineers, firemen and helpers in
Messenger service are cut 4S cents
per day and in freight service 81
cents per day.
Un.kiIIed Labor Hit.
Maintenance of way, structural
and unskilled forces are cut from
~ to 10 cents per hour. Approx
mateIy 100000 unskilled railroad
Iaborers receive a cut of sls cents
per hour. These classes are hardest
hit by the decision, because the de-
crease is the same amount they
were raised last year.
Shop employees, including ma
chinists, boilermakers, blacksmiths.
carmen. sheet metal and electrical
workers are cut cents per hour.
Telegraphers, station agents at
non-telegraph stations and tele-
phone operators are cut 5 and {
cents per hour.
All signal department employees
receive a reduction Of from to 8
cents per hour and all employees
on railroad ferries, tugs. steam
lighters and barges are also given
a decreased monthly rate. train
dispatchers received an Scent hour
ly reduction and yardmasters the
same
Thousands Of miscellaneous en-
ployes. including supervisors and
workmen not classified. are given
the same cut as those classes to
which their employment is the most
closely analogous.
In summing up its reasons for
granting the carriers cuts. the
board notes a decrease in the cost
of living and decreases in wages
for similar kinds Of work in other
industries