The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-03
Defer REPLY
OF EMPLOYEES
IN RAIL CASE
Presentation of Views for Plea
for Immediate Abrogation
of National Agreements Set
for Monday.
Winter ALSO TESTIFIES
fBy Associated Press)


the railroad employees views OF the
carriers plea for immediate abroga-
tion of national agreement was de-
ferred when the Federal Railroad La
Dor boa rd met today. 1t had been an
! nounced today that B. NJ. Jewell, act
ing president of the railway employees
department of the American Fedora
tion of Labor. would reply to the
statement made Monday by W. w
Atterbury on behalf of the Association
Of Railway Executives.
Employees representatives, however
asked the board for more time to pre-
pare their statement. and the hearing
! was advanced until next Monday
| morning.
Jewell confers
Mr.. Jewell has been in conference
with labor leaders all week preparing
a reply to Mr. Atterbury, which he
expects to present before the boa rd
Monday. E. F. Cradle, head of the
Maintenace of Way employees, also
| is prepared to make a statement, he
! announced.
! ing the railroads evidence in the
present rules hearing, continued his
! testimony today and also read into
the record a statement by Mr.. After
bury supplementing that made by the
latter Monday.
Urges Abrosation
| Mr.. Atterbury declared the rail
roads need for economies he said
could not be put into effect was so
urgent that many of the roads faced
bankruptcy and there was no time to
confer with employees on the abroga-
ton of the agreements.
We are convinced" said a telegram
| to President Wilson signed by Mr..
Jewell and six other organization
leaders. that he (Mr. Atterbury)
wishes to take advantage of the tenn
| porary unemployment and the unfor-
tunate economic conditions of the
railroad workers which the rail
roads themselves have intensified, to
crush out labor organZatios."
Says Cut Is Unnecessary.
1--WE shall show that there is no
/ economic justification for wage re-
duction, and that a reduction in tho
general cost of living is not depend
/ ent upon a reduction in our wages,
but that of other wage earners.
There is not a doubt that the tenn
porary requirements Of the railroads
/ could be financed by the railroad
! bankers if they were as much inter
ested in the maintenance of railroad
/ credits as some of them evidently are
I in crushing labor organizations and
reducing wages.
Opposes Methods.
! "If the public expects us to main
! tain the spirit and letter of the law
and to rely upon judicial settlement
of differences in an orderly way. we
must be protected against the ill-ad-
vised efforts of Mr.. Atterbury and his
| associates who are violating the pro-
cedure established by law. and be-
cause of an absurd and impossible
obession for destroying labor organi-
cations are reSorting to methods
which are indefensible and opposed TO
| the public welfare
/ At the same time, Mr.. Atterburg
! supplemented his statement before
| the labor board Monday by a message
! to President Wilson showing the in
crease in number of employees and III
payrolls during the period of govern
! ment control.
/ Gives Statistics.
''In the year of 1917" Mr.. After
j bury's message said, before govern
ment operation was adopted. the rail
way employed 302,S 1926 machinists, boil
. er-makers, blacksmiths, electricians,
{ airbrakemen. car inspectors, car re
pairers, other skilled shop employees
and machinists helpers and appren-
tices. In 1920. when the number of
locomotives and cars to be maintained
was only slightly larger than in 1917,
they had 443,774 an increase OF 40.
945 or AZ percent.
{ The total wages paid TO these EN-
ployees in 1917 was $317,S79, ,54a, while
/ in 1920, after the advance in wages
! granted by the railroad labor board
last July their wages were running At
the rate of approximately $3.50, 100000
a year an increase over 1917 of 19)
percent.
| Clerks Included.
, Another class of employees included
in one of the national agreements Is
the clerks. In 1917 the railroads en-
ployed 1S4.S63 clerks. while in 1920,
when business was normal they were
employing 23S,693 clerks. an increase
of % percent. The total wages paid
to clerks in 1917, was $1S9, ,009,5 SOS. Aft
er the wage award made by the rail
road labor board the wages of tho
clerks were running as near as can be
estimated, at the rate of S399,30O.0 600
a year an increase of 112 percent"