Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-12
THE LABOR BOARDS DECISION.

The General Railway Labor
Board has declined To repeal
all tho war measures and regulations
regarding wages and other factors In
tho railway problem. The rail work.
ers see I'm this decision a great victory.
1t is victory--hut temporary one.
The greatest thing which that ruling
did was TO call the puhlio's attention
to the plight of the railroads. and to
focus controversy around tho conten-
tions of tho railway executives. which
are that the roads do not seek to lower
wnges. but merely to pay for work per-
formed, and not TO pay exorbitnntly for
any work. Likewise they desdrc to con-
duct negotiations with their own en-
ployes unhnmpered by Federal regula-
tions.
With declining prices and wages I'm
commerce and agriculture. tho public
desires that the solvency of the rail-
roads be guaranteed by a reduction of
tho operating expenses. and not by n
further advance of railroad rates. This
solvency must be assured. The rail-
Solvency can be obtained by only one
of two ways. tho reduction of all oper-
ating expenses Of all departments. or
by raising the rates on every classifi-
cation. The latter is unthinkable at
the present time.
The railroads today are suffering
from hugo expense I'm tho operation of
their respective departments. Unless
Federal regulations are simpiincd or
lifted. these expenses viii continue TO
mount up. Then thero will be nothing
TO do but TO raise the rates. which would
add to the cost of every article trans
ported. and instead of aiding in the
decline of prices. would give the living
cost another boost upward.
Just TO show what handicaps the
railroads have suffered under In the
past months. we cite tho following in
stances from the records OF the pro-
ceedings before the Railroad Tabor
Board:
Five machinists on the Norfolk
& Western were sent to an outlying
point where they actually worked
eight hours day for three days.
Each of them had 30 he paid
straight time for the "a hours they
did work, and time and "A half for
20 hours they did not work.
The pere Marquette Railroad WAS
compelled 10 pay s9.364 In back pay
TO four employees because their
titles under the agreements were
changed by a decision OF tho
director general. Their work re-
manned the same.
A car repairer on the Virginia
Railway was paid $1,000 for work
that he never did. lie was laid
off with other employees because
there was no work for him 10 do.
When he became entitled under his
seniority rights" TO be re-employ
ed. he received back pay and over
time.
A train on the Ei Paso and
Southwestern was delayed one hour
and thirty minutes, and an en-
ploye was paid five hours time for
making repairs to a window. which
took thirty minutes. when a fore
man who was present could have
done tho work without delaying
the train.
These are only four instances.
Thousands OF such cases could be cited
TO show the handicap under which the
railroads are operating today. They
are not asking the power 20 reduce
wages. but they do seek the right TO de-
mand an honest days work for an hon
est days pay. In tho Ions run IL is the
public which pays the bills. and from
present indications the public viii not
stand for this waste much longer.