The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-06-03
RAILWAY WAGES ARE
PARED 100000,
Boards Decision Effective
July 1; All Classes
Affected.

nations railway wage bill when an
order cutting wages an average Of II
per cent. to be handed down tomor-
row by the United States Railroad La
bor Board, becomes effective July l.
The order affects members Of thirty
one labor organizations employed on
104 railroads.
While the decrease is specifically
applied only to the roads whose cases
have been heard by the board, the
decision says it may later he applied
to any other road asking a hearing
under the provisions of the Esch
Cummins transportation act.
Percenta ges of reductions comput-
ed by members of the board gave the
average of ~ per cent and the same
source estimated the annual reduc-
ton in wages at approximately $780,
100000.
Labor Recently Rcclassificd.
The Railroad Labor Board recent
ly reclassified the various employees
connected Win lbllNd ~ bpNAbNibhof
and. this, it was pointed out, may
have some effect on labor costs.
The board also, few weeks ago,
ordered abrogation of the national
working agreements, to become effec-
tive July 1. At the hearing on the
petition for abrogation of these agree
ments, railroad witnesses estimated
savings in labor cost as high as $780,
600, 600 annually. This would be in
addition to the saving possible thru
ghe current wage reduction decision.
The decision grants reductions va
rying from to IS cents an hour. or
from 8 to IS per cent, and in the case
of section laborers completely wipes
out the increase granted that class
of employees by the 100000 goo
wage award of July 90, 1920. For
section men the reduction was ap-
proXimately is per cent. Switchmen
and shop crafts receive per cent
reduction while the train service men
were cut approximately per cent
Car repairers were cut about 10 per
cent.
Common labor pay. over which the
railroads made their hardest fight, is
TO be reduced to S1a cents an hour.
cutting freight truckers average
monthly wages to $97.1O and track
laborers to Still. This new sche-
dule gives section men an average
daily wage of $500 for an eight-hour
day, although considerable testimony
offered by the roads, particularly II
the South, showed common labor |
wages as low as $3.50 for a ten
hour day.
Eight Cents an Hour Cut.
Shop crafts employees and train aud |
engine service men, except those in |
passenger service, are reduced cents |
an hour. Construction and section |
foremen are reduced 10 cents an
hour.
Passenger and freight engineers
who received increases of 10 and 13 |
cents an hour under the 1920 award !
are to be cat and cents an hour,
respectively Passenger and freight
conductors Who received increases of
12h and Is cents in 1920 are cut
~ and cents, respectively by the
new schedule.
Train dispatchers and yardmasters 4
whose monthly earnings at present
average $3.50 to $270 are cut cents
an hour,
The smallest reduction will apply
to office boys and other employees un-
der Is years old, who will receive 5
cents an hour less after July L.
Clerks are reclassified so that en-
tering clerks, usually young men and
women of IS to 20 years of age, will
receive a monthly salary of $67,5O
for the first six months and $77.50
for the second six months of service.
Clerks with less than one years ex-
perience now receive $40.
Considered Victory For Men.
In labor circles generally the ac-
ton Of the labor board in fixing the
decrease at an average of IL per cent
was regarded as a victory for the
men, as the railroads had sought a
reduction If at least 20 per cent.
ono official stated it had been
feared by the labor organizations that
.the reduction would be greater as the
wage reduction made some time ago
by the United States Steel Corpora
zion of 20 pr cent had been consider