The Washington herald., 1921-03-12

CHICAGO. March l1.-Admitting
that excessive freight and passen-
ger rates are a potent influence in
holding, back the resumption OF in
dustry in this country, and that
rates cannot be lowered until wages
are reduced and the payroils freed
of the thousands of employees loaded
upon them during the war, railroad
managers today said readjustment
of wages must come and that II
would affect practically every man
from the highest executive down to
the lowest roustabout.
However, for the present, there
will be no reductions in the pay OF
skilled employes-the operating
forces, but they. too, in time, must
meet the readjustment plan. 1t is
pointed out that the roads must put
their houses in order or go into
bankruptcy. Freight is not moving.
passenger business is slumping and
VIXEN the railroads suffer, the entire
country suffers. Frank admission
was made by executives today that
rates were too high to permit traf-
fic. Merchants who have to pay the
high rates simply pass the cost
along to the ultimate consumer ana
the ultimate consumer, in recent
months, has shown decided aver
sion to paying. He has quit buy
ing and thus stagnation has set in
along the entire line.
Labor Unions silent.
From the labor side there was lit
tie comment upon the proposed ac-
tion by the executives. b. NJ.
Jewell, representing the unions,
said the men had known for some
time that the propositions were
coming, but he would have to wait
for more detailed statements before
making formal announcement of the
attitude of labor. Other labor offi-
cials questioned the right OF the
roads TO confer with their employees
by individual crafts. They held that
the roads would have to hold one
conference with representatives OF
all employees and could not deal in
dividually with different unions.
Chicago Great Western Railway
announced today that conferences
will be held this month on a pro-
posed cut Of 20 per cent in salaries
of all employees from the president
down. The Santa Fe is laying on
large numbers of men to reduce It's
payrolls. The Alton, Burlington,
Rock Island, Monon, Michigan Gen.
tral and other lines have called con-
ferences with their men on the
proposition to cut wages from TO
20 per cent.
New York Lines.
The New York Central and the
New York, New Haven and Hart
ford Railroads have issued notices
of theft intention to cut the wages
of eighty-five classes Of employees
ranging from section hands 10
executives, making a total Of llZ,-
GOO affected by the reduction. 1t is
estimated that this will amount 10
more than seo0,o00,000 a year. The
big four brotherhoods were not in
cluded in the notice.
BOSTON, March 11.-Five million
unionized railway workers VIII
make an organized effort to combat
drastic wage cuts, President sam
uel Gompers of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, said today.
~water. Cause, Says Gempers.
mo solution Of railroad problems
will be found in the wage slashing
now being carried on" he said.
The only way to relieve railroad
finances is to squeeze the water out
of the properties
|. STen. fourteen or twenty per cent
reductions take the heart out of the
iaborers and out Of the home. mar
ket. 1t Is only right that every
worker receive enough to give him