The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-06-01

farther than information hitherto
given the public had Indicated.
Details, however, were not made
public.
Chicago, June -Four hundred mil
lion dollars a year will be slashed
from the nations railway wage bill
when an order handed down today by
the United States Railroad Labor
Board takes full effect. The decree
is effective July on 104 lines. Grant.
ing the petitions of the companies the
board will direct an average cut of
IL per cent which eventually will ap.
ply to all the railroad companies OF
the country. Members of 81 unions
are affected Immediately.
The cuts range from to 13 cents
an hour, or from $10.20 month for
apprentice boys to $26.52 for the bet
ter paid skilled labor, figuring on an
eight hour day basis.
The decision granted reductions
varying from 5 to Is per cent and in
the case of section laborers, complete
ly wiped out the increase granted that
class of employees by the $500, 900 900
wage award of July 20, 1920. Section
men who have been receiving 1910 for
an eight.hour day were cut to 1902,
the same figure in effect under federal
control. The reduction was approx
mately Is per cent.
Train Service Men Cut
~ SWitchmen and shop crafts were
given a 9 per cent reduction while
the train service men were cut ap'
proximately 7 per cent. Car repairers
were cut about 10 per cent.
While the decrease Is specifically
applied for the present only to the
1O4 roads whose cases have been
heard by the board, the decision says
it may later be applied to any other
road asking hearing in accordance
with the provisions Of the Esch-Cum'
Minis transportation act.
The decision is based on the pres
ent rates of pay as established by
the $6O0,000,O00 wage award OF July
i2O,t 1920. Common labor pay, over
which the railroads made their hard
est fight, is to be reduced to 8 IL
cents an hour, cutting freight truck
ers average monthly wages to $97.lO
and track laborers Still. This new
schedule still gives section men an av'
erage daily wage, of So OF for an eight
hour day, although considerable testi'
mony offered by the roads, particu'
larly in the south, showed common
labor wages as low as $1.O for q
ten.hour day.
Cut to $146 Monthly
Shop crefts employees and train and
engine service men, except those IN
passenger service, are reduced 3
cents an hour. Construction and Sec
tion foremen are reduced 10 cents an
hour, cutting their average monthly
pay to $146.
The railroad labor board recently
reclassified various employees in con.
nection with railway operations, and
this, it was pointed out, may have
some effect on labor costs.
Chicago, June 1.-Wage reductions
ordered by the Railroad Labor Board
resulted from a combined hearing in
yolving 1O4 railroads which filed petl'
tions to cut the wages of one or more
classes of employees. The hearing be.
gan on April 18 and the labor and
railroad representatives were each
granted one week to present their
cases. The final date for submitting
evidence was set for May Is, and the
Board has been at work on the case
constantly since that date.
Reduction, in the wages OF laborers
in other industries and the declining
cost of living were set forth by the
railroads as the basis of their plea
for lower wage scales. The winter
slump in business materially fastened
action in the. endeavOr to cut down
the country's railroad pay roll and
many railroad officials declared be.
fore the board that their roads would
be in the hands of receivers unless
immediate relief was provided.
UnskiiIed First
The campaign for lower wages was
begun in February when Brig. Gen.
w. w. Atterbury, vice president OF
the Pennsylvania Lines, first demand
ed the right to hire unskilled labor at
the rate prevailing in each roads ter
ritory. Gen. Atterbury brought his
demand to the board during the hear
ing on rules and working conditions.
which the board has not yet disposed
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