The Cordova daily times., 1921-04-09
WAGE PROBLEM BE TACKLED AT
 EXTRA SESSION
BY COL. WINFIELD JONES


 the special session of the new con- gress assemblies next week, the house and senate will be faced with the big labor problems of railway wages. All the great railroads throughout the country have served notice on the public, the railway workers, and the administration that they cannot con- tinue to pay the present high scale of wages and operate with profit A law now on the statute books requires that before the railroads can reduce wages they must confer with the workers to reach an agreement. Fail 1 ing to reach an agreement the mat ter must be referred to, the wage board of the railway administration. l The roads having failed to reach any agreement whatever with the em- ployes regarding reduction of wages have already referred the dispute to the wage board.
 The railway workers declare they
 cannot accept any cut in pay, and | their contention is that they cannot do so as the price of commodities and living has not been materially reduced, or at any rate reduced to
 the point where reduction of wages is justified.
 Irrespective of any action taken by the wage board congress will cer- tainly take up the problem, probably within a week or so after the special
 session meets.
 The wage earners will present to congress, through the senate commit tee on interstate commerce, their claims that wages should not be re- duced. The roads will put forward the claim that they are not earning enough to justify the present wage scale. The road managers claim that the lines are now earning only about one-fifteenth of one per cent of their valuation. If this is so there are two things certain. Either wages are too high and the workers are getting most of the gross operating revenue of the roads, or there is something radically wrong in the financial man agement of the lines.
 Some members of the interstate commerce committee believe that the overhead expenses of the lines, not counting wages, are far too heavy, and that the high prices of materials entering into upkeep and repairs on the lines are too costly. The roads, however, claim that all their financial difficulties are caused by high wages and the immense pay rolls. Increases in wages were granted to the employees in 1916 and 1917 amounting to $350, ,000 an nually. When the lines were under federal control during the war the wage increases amounted to $1,050,- 00O,O ,O00-a stupendOus sum indeed was $814. Today it is $500. In 1915 the total payrolls of the roads was $1,134,O0O,0OO. Today it is $3,50O,OOO,- 900. Today it is $3,600, 100000. The figures quoted are in round numbers. Former Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo was responsible for the huge wartime boosts in the pay of the workers.
 The most serious factor in the situ- ation, which really is ominous, is the threat of the operatives to strike if wages are reduced A nationwide strike, which would be followed by a complete tie-up of the whole country cannot of course be tolerated by con gress or the public, and it will not be- A nationwide strike will not be al lowed by congress under any circum- stances, even if special legislation has to be rushed through to have the government again assume control of the lines, with severe penalties provided against strikes while the government retains control. This proposition will of course be fought to the bitter end by the railroad brOtherhOods and the American Fed eration of Labor. Both organizations violently opposed the same kind of a provision in the Esch railroad act, at the last session of congress.
 The situation has revived the agita- tion for government ownership of the roads - not temporary government control as during the war, but out right ownership by the public Con- sequently the Plumb plan will again makes it's appearance at the special session and redubled efforts will be made by the American Federation of Labor, the railroad brotherhoods, and the Plumb plan league to secure this legislation. It is not believed at this time that the majority of con