Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-11
Ue Western Situation.

oE.tne larger western fallfOa0S To-Day
hid swung into line in the policy
er11 railroads of taking steps to bring
about reductions in the wartime
wage scale of unskilled employees. .
THE reductions will be urged, rail-
road officials said. to keep the roads
ont of bankruptcy and enable them
EVENTUALLY to reduce tariff rates
which now are said to be higher
than the public car bear"
AT h same time came statements
Tram officials of the Association of
Radlroad Executives that lower rates
of;pay for skilled workers probably
wDMld be sought after the wages for
uAskilled men had been settled.
One road. the Chicago Great West
eyn, took the lead among the western
lines In the matter of reductions by
a1nouncing that it proposed a 20 per
Cent decrease in the nay of every m
ptoye, from the president down, with
the execution Of train service men;
telegraph operators and unskilled
niAn. The pay of unskilled workers
would be brought down to conform
with the rates paid in other industries,
it, possible. Conferences will be held
with the employees at OelWeiny Ia,
March 10. About 5000 men would
be affected. Its proposed policy was
similar to h a announced a few days
ago by the Pennsylvania lines.
lin every case the roads specify they
would seek lower wages in accordance
With the provisions Of the transporta-
ten act, which provides that confer
ences must be held with the employees
and the mater brought before the
railroad labor board only when an
agreement could not\ be reached in
these conferences. d
Statements issued by the presidents
OF various roads declared that the
proposed cuts were imperative to en-
able the railroads to run. 1t was said
tifely on credit through the leniency
of their creditors, and that il they
were forced to pay their bills immedi-
ataly they would not be able to meet
the weekly payrolls.
~ Little Comment. @
From the labor side there was little
comment or the actions Of the roads.
81. N. Jewell, chairman of the railway
labor department of the American
Federation of Labor, said he had
known the propositions were coming
for;some time and that he would have
to await until he received more details
before issuing a formal statement.
Other officials questioned the right
SL-TLLlG 1OdAS W COIl6I VIII IuclI7 Gu
ployes by individual crafts, as the
Pennsylvania railroad recently an
nounced it would do The union men
Snid that each road would have to
hold. one conference with representa-
NSes of all employees whose wages
were to be cut. and could not deal In
divtdually with different unions.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
and the Chicago & Alton were two
roads to announce today that they
would seek wage reductions for un-
Skilled employees.
h Burlington conferred with rep
Tesentatives of its 10000 unskilled
employees yesterday, and announced
that a further conference would be
held March %. The Chicago & Alton
said that it had set no date for a con-
ference, but would call one soon. Its
officials felt that the national agree
lnent question, now before the labor
board, should be settled first.
The Santa Fe; the Chicago. Mil
waukee & st. Paul; the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, and the Chicago &
northwestern announced proposed re-
ductions last night. The Northern
Pacific and Great Northern previous
" had announced conferences with
lair employees.
z The Illinois Central had no official
Mel4Leiaent 10 make, Dut II was under
stood this road and several others ex-
sperted to take the same action as the
Epther lines.
The only road besides the Great
Western to specify the amoun Of re-
Sfuction which would be sought was
the Burlington.
Burlington officials said that the
layaFage pay of unskilled workers in
sot11er Industries, was 80 to as cents
nm hour. and virtually all officials SAD
Sthat railroad pay must be played on a
part with that in other industries. d
Concerning the possibility of reduc.
2 b pay of skilled workers l.. B
$AI1en, general manager of the Bur.
3inxton, said:
ES~4If the railroad labor board elm.