New-York tribune., 1921-11-16
Roads Summon
Men to Parley
! On Wage Cut
Notices Sen, Out by So East
& ern Lines Request Com
= ferenccsWith Representa-
lives of Brotherhoods
rlnskilled Labor Affected
Rail Executives to Meet Here
To-day to Hear Report
on the Rate Situation

t}fscials Of the railroads throughout
the country took the first step ycster-
asy In their long predicted campaign
20 redrce wages of their employees No
s;.es calling for conference on the qucs-
sion we're sent to the general chairmen
~ the Brotherhoods. The subjects to
hs discussed at these meetings, the no
t;ces said. werc wages and working
rnuditions. General managers of fifty
two railroads cast OF the Mississippi
and north OF the Ohio signed these
calls for conferences.
The notices say that it is desired to
held the conferences at the expiration
OF 4. thirty-d day period. In none of the
notices. which were said here yesterday
"a be in substance identical, was the
amount Of the contemplated wage re-
dicsion mentioned. 1t was estimated
That 10000 employees in the Eastern
territory will be affected by the results
os the conferences. Nearly 100000
country Not more than $4,000 of
these, however, are members of the
sBig Five" brotherhoods, the head
nuarters of which are located in Clevc
land. Ohio. and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The sending out of the notices is the
frst definite step in the program of
the Association of Railway Executives
70 impose reductions in the pay of the
railway employees in order to permit
the carriers to reduce their rates.
Executives Confer Here To-day
Additional light is expected TO be
thrown upon the labor-rate situation
at q meeting this afternoon of the As
ISOLATION of Railway Executives iii the
Grand Central Terminal. r. S. Bin
kerd, assistant to the chairman of the
the report of the executive committee
of the association on the outcome Of
the conferences with the Interstate
Commerce Commission in Washington.
The executive committee met with the
commission last Saturday, when it is
understood the whole situation regard
ing rates and how they should be ad-
justed was gone over.
Mr.. Binkerd said the meeting would
have no direct connection with the Ia
.. Dor situation, but inasmuch as the car
riers' only hope for lower rates lies in
a restoration Of wages that prevailed
III April, 1920. the report may have q
vital bearing on the proposed confer
ences with the workers representative
The meeting will be held in the New
Haven board room. Thomas De Witt
Cuyler. chairman Of the association,
will preside.
Unskilied Norkmen Included
The notices sent out include ua-
skilled workmea and shop craftsmen,
as we'll as trainmen, engineers, fire.
men. conductors and switchmen. The
original plan announced by the railroad
chiefs in Chicago last month, and which
followed resolutions presented by the
Railroad Labor Board, proposed wage
reductions amounting 10 10 per cent
for the employees who are members of
the railroad brothe rhoods, while shop
craftsmen and unskilled workers We're
to receive reductions comparable TO the
existing wage scales for similar kinds
Of work in other industries. These
latter Reductions would be made to
conform also with living costs and
rates of pay regarded as just for the
given territories or localities in which
the men are employed.
l.. f. Loree, pre- esident Of the Della
ware & Hudson Railroad and chairman
of the Eastern Presidents Conference,
said yesterday that in the event the
pay readjustment proposed, the dis
Euted cases will be filed with the Rail-
road Labor Board. These matters
would not be ready for study in such
event, however, he said, for proba bly,
sixty days.
The length of time required for pre-
sentation and study of the mass of
evidence from both sides regarding the
cost of living and prevailing pay in
other industries is expected to delay
final action on the carriers program
until next summer, according to views
Of local railway officials.
cerned with the future negotiations
eleven other unions are involved.
: Samuel Rea, president Of the Penn