New Britain herald., 1921-10-22
UNION MAN TELLS
 CAUSE OF STRIKE
Lee Says Public Is Rather Con-
 fused on Reasons

Cleveland, Oct. 22.-(By Associated Press)-Causes for the strike of rail- way workers set to begin in general at a. m., October 30, are enumerated by w. G. Lee, president of the rail- road trainmen in a statement to the associated Press today. The state lent was isued, MT. Lee explained, because ''the public is rather con- fused" as to it's causes, some believing it is for higher wages.
 Three Causes of Strike.
 The causes as ascribed by Lee:
 l. The wage reduction of July i.
 ?. Proposed further reductions.
 3. Proposed elimination of rules which would mean still further reduc- tons.
 Prepare For Walkout.
 The local brotherhood chiefs are: Mir. Lee of the trainmen Warren S. Stone of the brotherhood of locomo- tive engineers, and w. s. Carter, of the brotherhood of firemen and en- ginemen, while preparing to obey the citation to appear before the railroad labor board in Chicago next Wednes- day were also going ahead with plans to carry out the strike.
 w. E. Shephard, president of the order of railway conductors, arrived last night.
 Lees Statement.
 Mr. Lees statement as to the causes ef-the strike follows:
 The public is rather confused as to the causes for the railway strike. There is a belief on the part of some that the strike is for higher wages, and is not understood to be a demon stration against a wage reduction to which has been added propositions further to reduce wages and eliminate rules which would mean still further reductions
 Railroad transportation employees even when peak wages were paid did not receive advanced wages in keeping with the increased living costs. The daily rate paid transportation men was fixed for all classes in the United States in 1913 and regardless of the increased cost of living. there were no increased wages for these employees until January 1, 1918 and only then after a most searching investigation had been made by the Lane commis- sion to determine what should be the reasonableness of wages paid. trans portation employees. This commission reported that wages were inadequate and contrary to public opinion did not measure up with wages paid in other classes of service.
 tSThe Princely Wage"
 ''The rate of a freight brakeman between Chicago and New York was s2.67 day, which was referred to by the railways in their publicity cam- paigns as a pr1ncely wage, and the public naturally supposing that a busi- ness representing so much as the rail way business would tell the truth, ac- cepted the railway statement without question. 1t does not take long to determine how much could be earned in a month of 30 days at a rate of s2.67 per day. Until January 1, 1918 $80.10 was the princely wage some fifty odd thousand railroad men re ceived in what is known as the eastern territory. Other wages were in pro. portion to the wages of the freight brakenen.
 Rate With Reduction.
 With the reduction in wages o1 July. 1, 1921, the present wage of thi: employe js $134.4o for 30 days in the month, and he is fortunate indeed i he is able to make every day in thu month. The many hazards of the service, exposure to the weather, ant very many other reasons all contribute their share toward making him an in termittent, as well as piece worker Transportation employees are not pait by the month, but by the day or trip If business requires, they. work. l not, they lose the time. There ar' comparatively few men now maxim. full time. There are thousands O. these men who are out of work, man. of whom have as high as Is year service, because there is no need fo them, while thousands of others hav' to try to live on the pay of few day a month which is all the time the rail way service requires from them. Le it be understood that no transpOrta ton wages are paid unless the tim is made. It is true that the railwa. companies show wages earned in mucl higher amounts than those quoted, bu they do not tell that the higher month ly amounts represent full time an' overtime. It is fair to assume tha everyone who is forced to work extr; time expects to be paid for it.
 ''The railroad companies have no been fair in their propaganda agains the employees, and it is to be hope that before the trouble is over tha prejudiced opinion based on railwa publicity misstatements will under stand the exact wage that may b earned through the normal day work"