New-York tribune., 1921-02-01
" age
Pact at Once,
Roads Plead

Roads Plead
tcsnsiaued from PAGE sns,
Wiling to 20 into conference with
tne railroad representatives.
Chairman Barton also suggested such
conference
The immediate solution suggested
py ~Genural Asterbury would in any
event require several heariffgs There
Is very difficult situation before the
whole country. Representatives Of the
railroads and OF the employees ought
TO unite, not work in spirit of
aftagonism," said M. Barton.
Personally feel that the roads and
the men ought to see If something can
be done first. The board has had rep-l
that the present high rates are de-
stroying their business. Fruit and
vegetable shippers have made espe-
claliy strong protests
Opposition Voiced
Mr.. Atterbury said it would be i'm
possible for the roads and employees
to reach an agreement.
Mr.. Jewell then announced that he
would at once prepare reply to the
application Of the railroad executives
A. Q. Wharton. labor member of the
labor board, demanded hat Mr.! AtteS-
barry put on record the names of the
railroads that were behind him and
state upon what authority he acted in
asking for an anRulment of the ma
tional agreement.
violent opposition of the railroad
workers was--&aiced by j. G. Luhrsen,
| president of the Train Dispatchers,
Association.
Extravaganza Charged
"A single ownership In some form
and unified operation of all United
States carriers is the only logical out
come Of the transportation problems"
he said
'sThe employees Of the railroads of
America will not submit to bearing the
| burdens which the carriers seek to inn
pose on them. The great effort now
being made to reduce operating ex-
penses is all directed against the work.
srs. The whole AmeGican railway sys-
tenn is extravagantly operated and the
public is asked to pay the. bilin
He said that if the board was flooded
with individual requests for wage re-
ductions by the railroads 1t would be
concerted action tending tc interfere
with the orderly procedure Of this
| hosrd and the individual railroads
would be &cting unde instructions to
bring about chaotic conditions.
e. r. Whittier, chairman of the rail-
read committee before the board, pro-
tested against Mr.. Luhrsen's statement.
He said the train dispatchers had no
Irrational agreement and were not en-
titled to speak on the subject.
| Mr., Luhrsen asserted that investiga-
! tion of the. operating expenses would
disclose that inefficiercy was response
BILE for more than the 100000, 900
waste alleged by Mr.. Atterbury as the
| result of the national agreements.
Atterbury's Statement
| Mr.. SAtterbury's statement follows:
II have come under strong sense
of duty to lay before you an acute
situation. Unless this board takes
prompt action many of the railways of
1.-THE United States may be forced into
! insolvency
| "Many of the railroads are not now
/ earning, and with present operating
costs and traffic have no prospect of
earning, even their bare operating eX-
| penses, leaving them without any net
return and unable to meet their fixed
| charges.
"The emergenc, presented can be
met either by AN advance in freight
In operating expenses.
With declining prices and wages~in
industry and agriculture, the country
demands that the solvency.Sof the rail-
roat.s must be assured by reduction
IN operating expenses, and noA by a
further advance of rates.
"The national agreements, rules and
working conditions forced on sthe rail-
roads as war measures cause gross
waste and ineficiency,
u estimate that the elimination of
this waste would reduce railway
operating expenses at least $500 O00,-
900. It would be far better to save
this SUM by restoring conditions Of
efficient and economical operation than
to reduce wages.
We believe that as the wages of
railroad employees were the last TO
go up, they should also be the last to
come down, but We do insist that for
| an ample wage, an honest days work
shall be given. The public has the
right to insist that this must be OBJ
| tanned.
REIMBURSEMENT Required
"The public has also the right to ex-
| pect that the railway executives with
the cooperation of the regulatory
bodies and the employees, will as rapid
| ny as possible reduce the cost of rail-
way operation so as to insure eventual
~ reduction in ratesa Ultimately a
reimbursement of basic wages will be
required. Meantime, it is to the in
! terests of all concerned, including
labor, that the rules and w rking con-
| ditions shall be made conducive to
| the highest efficiency in output per
man.
/ "Mr. Whittier and his committee have
Tar from exhausted their evidence an
this subject, and if required to viii. Of
course, proceed. But it will be danger
| ous to continue the consideration OF
these agreements rule by rule. If the
board follows its present procedure
months wjli elapse before 1t can render
| its decision.
"The urgent financial necessities Of
! the railroads will not permit them to
wait any such length of time for relief.
| Long before the present detaFfed hear
| ings are concluded the board will be
flooded byappeals from individual rail-
roads from III parts OF the country for
reductions in basic wages. 1t will be
4 impossible for the board to hear and
4 dispose Of these separate cases upon
their merits In time to avoid numerous
receiverships and the possibility cf a
nationss panic.
n ar xsrr, L 4. A