The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-11
WORKERS Have NO
Bread; CAKE FOR
THE CAP %>'1sTS
Railroads Claim Poul>p p''
Flesh; Workers Must
Pay Price.
By CHARLES Nj. KELLEY.

BY CHARLES Nj. hELLE1.
Two million railroad workers are
deprived of bread that cake may be
placed on the sumptuously laden
table of the capitalist
That, in few words, is the mean
ing and effect of the recent wage
cut made by the United States rail-
road labor board.
Those who have are to receive
more, while those who have not are
to lose what little they possess.
In presenting their demands for
wage reductions the railroad managers
specifically stated that they expected
the labor board to carry out the pro-
vision of the transportation act which
guarantees the investors in railroad
securities a return Of per cent on
the inflated capitalization of the
transportation industry. This demand
has been restated and emphasized in
the testimony of railway executives
before the senate committee on in
terstate commerce.
The railroads, having been prom
ised definite thing by congress, are
insistent that they shall get it, They
are going to claim their pound of
flesh even if it is necessary to take
it from the hearts Of the workers.
Wage Controversy Regulation.
The transportation act sets up Ger
tain principles that shall control
wage controversies. 1t provides that
the cost of living, the hazard and
responsibility of employment and
other considerations shall be taken
pt in i~ir
The transportation board gave heed
TO none of these requirements. 1t
bothered itself not the least about
may happen to the toilers when they
are thrown back on a starvation wage.
1t heard the call of the railroads
and" that was sufficient for it's pur-
pose. 1t slashed right and left, with
out thought Of the consequences.
In making its heaviest reductions
on the wages of the lowest paid
workers the board cynically disre-
garded the well-being of more than
100000 men who were under exist
ing schedules receiving less than the
lowest estimate of what is required
to keep the average family in decent
comfort. The rates established by the
decision will compel these men to
make new and bitter sacrifices and
many of them will fall into hopeles IS
and degrading poverty
The highest income possible for
these men under the present wage
rate, II they are employed every work.
ing day In the year, is less than $1,000.
With deductions incidental to holi-
days, inclement weather and other
factors that the workers do not con-
troll, their average income is re duced
to about $3.50 a year. The reduce
ton will decrease this sum about
$3.50 a year. leaving them a scant
$500 with which to maintain a FAM
lily Of five. Recent budgets COM
piled by various research organiza-
tlons place the sum needed to keep
such family above the subsistence
level at about $4,000 a year. The
employers, never too generous with
workers, have declared that $1,65O is
tne absolute minimum for the main
tenance of the average family.
Less Bread for Workers.
All thls, of course, meant nothing
~ the railroads and scarcely moro
TO the, railroad labor board. The
workers must take less bread that
'he rallroad managers may have more
CAKE. Millions must suffer that the
snaneless liberality of a recreant con-
gress may be realized.
When the labor board was taking
lood from the stomachs and clothes
from the backs of the workers fam
llles the railroad officials were at
washington demanding that existing
oh
lthued and in some cases increased
nhey We're also demanding that bill
''o"o VI oollars be taken from the
Aeasury 10 meet the greedy demands
.aoe upon the government. They in
sist tnar the people shall surrender
N!alin 70 the managers of thousands
ol mlllons of dollars advanced to the
carriers when they were in financial
ulstress. In short, they are batterinr
ae the doors Of congress for conces-
slons SO monstrous and indefensible
that they would not be given a mo-
nlents consideration were the gov
efnhlent responsive to public opinion.
ADDRESSING the Iowa state aiegisla-
tufe In March, 1919. Senator Cum
1n1hs' author Of the Cummins-Esch
ui'l' oeclared: I'm order that there
may pc no misunderstanding as to my
a.tltuoe' | desire to say in the Le-
ginning that I look upon transporta-
.lon as a governmental function. I
oe"eve 'hat II Is just as much a duty
VI .ne government to provide the
people WIN adequate Transportation
atene lowest cost as it is to provide
tnoin win adequate highways, ade-
quate water supply, adequate courts
OF justice, or adequate police nro-
2 lection. 1t is clearly recoenized bv
:. every country in the world thai yov:
ernlnent na1'e' nj ownership and operation OF
80 Continued on page ~ y = ~.