The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-10-06
THE PENDING RAILROAD STRIKE

without saying that general strike will untold
suffering and inconvenience those who bring about
should be held up to that that they deserve
Prior to July 1st of the present year, motion of
the railroads. the United Labor Board considered
the motion of the railroad for fiat reduction
of $104 day for all outside the officials employed
by the railroad companies
The result of their deliberations award that
wages should be reduced s64 day fiat and applying to
all employees except officials. Under this decision, COM
piled with in fact but agreed the have
worked from July first to the present time.
1t is very we'll to note what this reduction meant
when applied. man who received small wage would
naturally suffer larger percentage of loss than who
received larger pay check. Section numer-
Gus than other low saared class, found themselves
by the labor board and arbitrary reduction by the
companies in thereof lie hour sSc day
Conductors lost about So of their pay check Clerks
about 1890 Agents operators about so and hopmen
and others in the same class 10es
Now recall that this fiat cut of S.64 per day
without reference what the getting most
unfair and unjust way of adjusting salary reduction
for poorly paid eats just much well paid
his children need food education and clothes quite
badly observe that the charge rich and
poor alike, about all the traffic will bear.
The companies professed dissatisfaction with the
award and making new demands viz: Abolition
of the arbtraries in other words time and half for
overtime, terminal delays half days for night calls,
from home terminal delays etc Over and above all
is their demand for the abolition of all seniority rules
and this strikes vital blow at all the organizations for
if seniority is abrogated the very fundamentals of the
pending, and decision in favor of the companies
demands forces strike which cannot end for the
employees than compliance with such decision. They
might quite we'll lose their positions permanently and
start starving put it off till the employers
tiate the condition
The average cut in the railroad payroll under the
previous decision is 1870. Enjoying this huge reduction
they have reduced freight express passenger
Some may they did reduce rates the fruit and
cattle interests The former effort divert ship
ments to Lines instead of freight and the latter
effort to stop driving stock to market instead of
shipping same Both reductions added to railroad
instead of reducing them the result would have
been more far reaching had the cuts been greater
There has, been reduction that is appreciable in
the cost of living but the skimp along
they are given. With reduced purchasing power they
naturally buy less and all business suffers the
ratio. This thought is specially commended to those
business men who supply the railroad trade and who
really rely the railroad payroll for their fixed income
1t is well to note right here that reduction what
has been made I'm the salaries of officials many of
whom take down enormous From $4,000 to 100000
common salaries for the high officials of the railroad
corporations and time has any hint been given
reducing them S1.04 a day.
There is than probability that the strife and
turmoil cooked up by the railroad management has a
deeper and sinister meaning than appears the
surface. So long they keep the pot boiling with
trouble between the employees and the employers long
they hope to prolong the inevitable final reduc
tions which the public nsstently demanding In
other words while the public attention is directed
possible strike which will create ntolerabe conditions
they less apt to insist rate reductions that they
deserve and will get when they after organized
form.
The foregoing is printed simply post the people
the impending issues and the almost which
is being promoted by the railroad managers There
no man today who will deny that the capitalists
ganzed to the nth degree, For them attempt to de-
stroy the organizations of their employees
and not to be given any consideration The
ganized Not well their employers, but strongly
and efficiently Good citizens will sympathize with them
and help them maintain American standard of living
dren Wise business will contemplate conditions
in the light of reduced patronage inevitable if the
cut to the starvation level compare railroad
mands their employees with their latest freight and
express bills.
fact:
The railroads have shrieked about their depleted
enues Railroads have but commodity to sell and
that is transportation. How do they supply the
for their commodity? Do they try to furnish prompt,
adequate and efficient service? know they do not
Engines overloaded to the salling point
the appearance of doing all they when moderate
loads and prompt arrivals would work for both the
vice of the people and the financial
roads Their business is a cash business They get the
actual in hand for their of the
supplying the people with goods and very often the
who the railroad the cash books the freight
customers for months at time.
The railroads have all the best it in every way
Their employees and the public demand that the men
who their dividends for them shall be paid living
wage and their efforts to improve their condition shall