Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1921-05-19
R. R. WAGE CUTS
ARE ORDERED
BY LABOR BOARD
Unskiled Workers Wages
Down My Amount Is
Not Stated-No Decision
on Other Workers as Yet.

ANVS OS0SCU wv DCNAoAVA
on Other Workers as Yet,
Chicago, May 'l7.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press )-The United States
railroad labor board late today an
nounced it's intention of revising
100000 nnskilled rail workers by
next July /. The amount of the
decrease was not announced but will
be made public on June 1.
At the same time the board an
nounced that it would hold hearings
on June 6 regarding proposals by
the roads to decrease the wages of
other classes of employees and would
also make it's decisions in these cases
effective on the same date. A SINH
lar decision in the case Of skilled
workers would mean cut in the pay
Of practically every railroad worker
in the country on July l and would
affect approximately two million
men.
The announcement today which
said that prevailing conditions
justify to some extent, yet to be de-
termined, readjustment downward
Of wages was entirely unexpected
and came only few hours after the
close of the hearings which have
been in progress since early in April.
Neither the roads or the representa-
tives of the unions had expected any
announcement for several weeks.
On July 20, 1920, the board rem
dered q decision increasing the pay
of all classes Of railway employees
approximately 81 percent or about
100000 year. Several
months ago several roads announced
that they could no longer operate
under this wage award and announc-
ed reductions averaging about 20
percent in the pay of unskilled en-
plOyes. The workers appealed to
the board. which decided that the
roads could not make summary re-
ductions but must first hold confer
ences with the men and then, if no
agreement could be reached. submit
the case to the board for decision.
Pay Above Open Market
Practically every large road in the
country then held conferences with
its ,lnskilled employees regarding
redtletf0ns and when the employees
refused to accept cuts, carried the
case to the board. About SO cases
in. all were thus appealed and the
board finally decided to hear them as
a unit instead OF separately.
In presenting their case. the roads
pleaded that they were being forced
to pay more for labor then they
could employ it for in the open mar
ket; that reduction in the cost of
living justified similar reduction in
wages, that they were being forced
to operate in many cases at a loss,
and that they wished to reduce their
rates for the benefit of the public
but could not do so while forced to
pay war time scale to labor
High Rents Nullify Cuts
The employees in their reply charg-
ed that the financial embarrassment
of the roads was due to gross mis-
management; that increased rentals
had practically nullified any de-
creases in other necessities and that
the wages paid rail workers were
still below those paid in other lines
of industry.
Today's announcement that the
board felt prevailing conditions"
justified revision downward in
wages, was the first indication of its
attitude on the wage question. Rail-
road officials tonight expressed them
selves as being pleased at the boards
and expressed the opinion
that the same conditions which it
was found applied to unskilled labor
would also be applied to skilled
workers which would mean wage re-
ductions of approximately 100000
employes-skilled and unskilled.
officials Won't Talk
Washington, May 17.-Announce-
ment of the decision of the railroad
labor board to readjust downward
wages of employees Of the carriers
was received with some reserve to-
night by railroad executives who are !!
here in connection with hearings be-
fore the senate interstate commerce
&,
Because the percentages Of de-
creases have not been determined,
the executives generally regarded
the announcement as more or less
There was also some In
dication of disappointment because
the revision would not become eff
fective until July i.
\ II. e. Byram, president of the
Chicago, Milwaukee and. St: Paul
was the only executive who
would comment. "'The statement"
he said, Sis encouraging, but the
benefits we will get from it will de-
pend on the reduction that, is made"
Frank; r. Walsh, who has served
as attorney for the railroad unions
before the railroad labor board and
before congressional committees, de-
clined to make a statement.
NO CHANGE MADE
y in GRAIN GRADING
34s II By WAL "a CE now