The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1921-02-10
Public Directly interested II
Effort to Stop Drain on
Carriers Income.
BIG SUMS FOR WORK HOT DONE
Railways Asking Labor Board 10
Abrogsts Wastefui Agreements
Made Under Federal Control.

iItb ~ the kt}uDtt u TIC td1t pl'
scented by the railroads 10 the United
States Railroad Labor Board. now IA
session la Chicago.
The railroads have submitted eyi
dence 10 the board TO show why th'
National Agreements affecting railwa,
shop labor should be abrogated. be
lieying that this 10 a vitality important
step In the process Of reducing op
Grating expenses.
This step Is not only necessary Il
insure adequate earning power 10 ths
railroads. but viii make possible al
ultimate reduction In rates.
The agreements were made by ths
Railroad Administration just before
the end OF Federal control. The sun
total OF the rules and working coDdi
lions provided by the National Agree
ments have increased the operating
expenses OF the railroads by hundreds
Of millions. and have decreased tlis
efficiency and output OF the employees
In other ways resulting In losses
which cannot be calculated In dollars
and cents.
For several weeks the railroad'
have been multiplying Instances Of thf
absurd and extrnyagant results OF the
labor rules fastened upon them by the
National Agreements.
In one case cited before the board .
machInist was paid 1874 hours wages
for work all performed within eight
hours. This case Illustrated the effect
OF the rule that for each "eall' the
worker ls 10 be paid iye hours wages
even N he works only ten minutes.
The case OF car repalrer on the
ylrglnlan Railway. who was recently
paid over $1,000 for services which
we're never rendered. and In addition
the same amount OF overtime as wa
made by his gang. was another exam
Pile.
In connection with the rule thai
none but mechanics or apprentices
shall do mechanics work. the follow
Ing was cited TO Indicate It's unfair
ness:
Five Hours Pay for so Minutes Work
"'rhe ri paso 4 Southwestern Ran
road recently had an engine set out a.
Douglas. aud about the time u wn'
ready To 20 10 lis train u developed
that window Hight was broken in tn
cab. IL was necessary for the foreman
to call carpenter 10 do the work thai
he could have performed himself In .
few minutes. The train was delayed
one hour and 80 minutes. and the EN-
pioyee called TO do the work was pale
Ave hours for work requiring 80 min
utes."
The lnefficiency created In inflexibls
application OF the rules contained l.
the agreements In question was Illus
trated In the following actual case
which recently occurred on the Balti
more & Ohio Railroad:
"An engine was placed In the
shops for certain repairs. Because
OF the provisions OF the National
Agreement. II was necessary that
members Of ave crafts perform
parts OF this work: formerly. the
entire operation was performed by
the members OF but two crafts"
81, SOC. 900 for Work Not Performed
How the railroads OF the countr,
were compelled 10 pay almost 50 500
600 In the first six months OF 1920 fol
service not rendered because Of ths
effects OF but one of the is2 rules In
cluded In the Shop Crafts National
Agreement was shown In the testi
mony.
This punitive payment FOR work new
er performed was required by clause
In the National Agreement. which pro
yides that when employees are ~
CURED TO check In and out on their
own time they win be paid one hour
extra at the close Of each week
The rigid classincations OF labor.
when taken In connection with the
rule that requires that man must
have four YEARS experience before be
ng employed 10 perform any Of the
work listed In them. result In paying
-atss applicable to men who are sup
,osed TO be fully qualified for WORK
which does not require men Of four
vars experience.
To illustrate how the lnnexihilitles
4 many o. the rules now enforced op
rate 70 mulct the railroads OF large
Iums for services which tn the ab-
enco ~ these rules could De obtained
or relatively toderate sums. evidence
sas iaid before the Labor Board show.
M mat three men who were EN-
lloycd at a small pumping station In
Michigan. performing urskilled work.
sould. when classified under the rules.
scelvs an exeess % pay amounting
0 more than the value % all the wa.
or pumped snd current generated at
his station
The Chicago testimony contains M.
rally hundreds % Instances such rs
hess. all supporting The contention %
he railroads that the tabor rules an.
er which they have beeE forced 20
rork are such as 70 preveEt the ~hon-
II. eficient and economical manage
,snt" demanded By the Transports.