The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-01
months wfiI eltpse before Il can render

months VIII eltpse before It can render
it's decision.
THE urgent financial necessities of
the railroads will not permit them to
wait any such length of time for relief.
Long before the present detailed hear
ings are concluded the board will be
flooded by appeals from individual rail-
roads from all parts Of the country for
reductions In basic wages. 1t will be
impossible for the board to hear and
dispose of these separate cases upon
their merits in time to avoid numerous
receiverships and the possibility OF a
national panic.
"The Labor Board can prevent this
catastrophe by declaring that the ma
tional agreements. rules and working
conditions coming over from the war
period are terminated at once; that the
question OF reasonable and economical
rules and working conditions shall be
remanded to negctiation between each
carrier and its own employees. and that
as the basis for such negotiations the
agreements. rules and working conditions
in effect on each railroad as of De-
cember 81. 1917. shall be re-established.
III the BOARD will do this. the labor
committee Of the Association OF Railway
Executives will urge upon every rail-
road company q party to decision No.
that no proposal for the reduction OF
basic wages shall be made within the
next succeeding ninety days. This Will
afford an opportunity to gauge the
economies which can be accomplished
through more efficient rules and working
conditions.
Tho time has come when. II the rail-
ways are to be efficiently and eco
nomically operated in accordance with
the provisions Of the Transportation act.
normal Conditions OF employment and OF
working conditions must be restored
and Increased efficiency OF labor be
secured.
III your board adopts the foregoing
suggestion there Is but one aspect OK the
wage question on which we ask i'm
mediate action. The basic rates now
established by your board for unskiiled
iaDor are from 80 to 4sM cents per
hour. Since your decision was made on
July 20. 1890. these rates have fallen
materially throughout the United States.
For your board to require the railroads
to continue to pay wages Tar In excess
OF those paid by other industries Is un-
fair to those industries and bears with
grave injustice upon the great body OF
our farmers. Within the next month or
six weeks practically all Of the railways
Of the country must recruit their un-
skilled labor forces. It is desirable that
q large part of the work for which these
men are necessary 30 concentrated in
periods when the same labor 10 not
needed In harvesting the crops. We.
therefore, ask the immediate permission
Of your board to pay for unskilled labor
not less than the prevailing rate OF
wages In tbs various territories served
by any carrier In accordance with Sec
ton S07, transportation act.
IT regret the urgency Of the foregoing
presentation. It's informality does not
indicate any intention on the part Of the
railway companies to violate the prin-
ctple Of orderly procedure In such mat
ters. But to sit by and see this situa-
ton develop without bringing it prompt
ly and strongly to the attention Of this
board would be to sacrifice the spirit
Of the Transportation act.
TN our judgment. unless the proposed
measures be promptly taken by your
board a situation viii shortly develop in
which orderly procedure will become en-
tirely impossible