The Connecticut labor news., 1921-11-25
ArbitratOrs Hold That Lowest Paid Men Should Receive Mini mum Reductions and Living Pay Be Sus- tained.

AAN AAAS uy DS OUO
 tained.
 Ottawa, Ont, Nov 25.-Thc board of arbitration appointed to hear the dispute between the Canadian Ma tional Railways and certain of it's em ployes respecting a reduction of wages has rendered an award that is interesting in that it takes the posi- ton that cost of living shall have first consideration in the adjustment of wages, and that when reductions are made they shall bear due relation to the amount that will remain for each class of workers.
 This is completely at odds with the position of American railroad own CTS, who insist that the poorest paid workers shall sustain the biggest cuts, and who were recently sustained by the United States Railroad Labor Board, which established wages for certain railroad workers averaging not more than oo.6o week.
 The Canadian board made it's award on the assumption that employees earning SIPS a month and more are able to stand cut of approximately I2N per cent, but that the reduction should be less in the case of lower paid workers.
 Railways File Dissent.
 Chairman (Rev) Byron Stauffer and Harold Fisher, representing the men, signed the report, to which George D. Kelley, representing the Canadian National dissented and sub mitted a minority report.
 The effect of the award was to sus- tain the proposed reduction i'll the case of employees receiving SIPS or more per month and to suggest a sliding-scale reduction in the case of other employees, on the following basis: Employees receiving $50 per month, $5; employees receiving $8I to $o5 per month, $7.5o; employees re- ceiving $96 to SIPS per month, $1o. This basis is similar to that put into effect in the Toronto accounting de- partment of the Canadian National.
 While the award is not binding up on either party, the comment con tained in the verdict is important in that 1t takes position completely re- versing railroad practice on this con tinent.
 Dealing with the proposed general reduction, the award drew attention +L +L, o1o $Io2o per week and ashpitmen, fire builders and coalmen, $2o.6 per week, and said: The board thinks that, even with the reduced cost of living, it is almost impossible for the aver age family to live on these wages, All of these employees are little more than unskilled labor, in a sense. It is not necessary for these employees to go through a long training, but most of them are permanent en- ployes, and we think that their posi- lions require from them a consider able amount of intelligence and re- liability.
 Good Business to Pay Living Wage
 "It would not be merely decent treatment but good business, to see that these permanent employees get wages will make them contented and wiling"
 Referring to sleeping, dining and parlor car employees, the report sug- gested that If the management and the employees will seriously undertake the pioneer reform of abolishing grat- uities this board will be glad to offer a supplementary report"
 The award recommended that the maximum decrease for hourly paic men, such as loaders, freight truckers or porters, locomotive cleaners, ash pitmen, frebulders and coalmen be not greater than 10 per cent. of the wages paid before the reductions Stenographers and sleeping, dining and parlor car employees are not af- fected by the recommendation for re ductions for monthly paid employees getting SIPS or less.
 We can not believe that the fixing of wages should be left entirely tc the hard and fast laws of supply and demand" the award states. "This implies struggle, with possible strikes and lockouts."
 This board would not be prepared
 CNTTDE EnC1