Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-17
Public Group Recommends
Lowering Freight Charges
As One Way of Ayerting
the Railroad Strike.
SITUATION CAN BE
CLEARED, THEY SAY
Cost of Living Can Be Re-
duced and a Stimulating
Effect Exerted on All Bus
mess Is Claim,

authorized last July in wages o.
| railroad employees into reduced
freight rates. was suggested by TIL,
/ public group of the railroad labor
board tonight as lone feasible plar
| by which the present controversy
can be settled and strike averted.'
"If the railroads will imme-
diately, in good faith, adopt
this suggestion the public
group said in the first state
ment issued since arrival in
Washington, 1.-THE situation can
be cleared. freight rates re-
duced to shippers, the cost of
living reduced, and stimulat-
ing effect exerted on all busi-
ness"
Under the plan suggested by the
public group, the railroads would
withdraw their request for further
wage reductions until freight re-
ductio,.s have been completed, and
pending action of the board on
such petition for further reduction
as the carriers may subsequently
submit" the unions would with
draw the strike order.
Statement of Group.
The suggestion of the group was
based, the statement said, on one
point put forward by W. w. At
terbury, vice president of the
Pennsylvania railroad, before IA
convention in Chicago last Friday
The statement given out by Ben
w. Hooper, a member of the group
who said it was drafted by the en-
tire membership, follows.
"Up until Friday there was but
little, If any, danger of railroad
strike. The railroad workers
would have brought down on their
heads universal condemnation for
resisting by force wage cut SO
manifestly just and reasonable as
that made in July. 1t may likewise
be said that 1t remains to be seen
whether issuance of a strike oroer,
merely because a petition for, a
wage reduction is about to be tlled'
will be sustained by tho public.
'erhe railway labor board mas
functioned for more than eighteen
months, settling hundreds of con-
troversies, and its decisions, with
but few exceptions, have been re-
apected by both sides. There would
have been A strike long ago, II the
parties had undertaken to settle
without intervention or supefNl-
sion the manifold disputes they m
herited from the war period. Thefe
is absolutely nothing in existing
conditions that iustifies the car
riers and their employees In infiict-
ing the ruinous results OF a Strike
on themselves and on the pubic
There is no amount of propaganda
that can convince the people tha'
either side is entirely blameless.
Wages Reduced July I.
"On the first day of July, the
railroad labor board made effec-
tive a decision, which reduced
tbe wages of railway employees IL
per cent aggregating about $4oo.-
100000 per annum, basing the es.
innate on the normal number OF
employees. - 20
tSince then, by revision or
on1v a part of the working rules or
onlv one class of employees, the
carriers have received further ben-
efits, amounting to many miilons
"Fridav the carriers notified the
employees they would ask the laeor
hoard for a further wage, cut OF
10 per cent, assuring the puoiic
that the shippers and the people
should have the benefit or th's
wage reduction in the form Of re-
duced freight rates.
Tho EmpIoycS' Reply.
"To this proposition the en-
Moves reply that no general reduc-
tion of freight rates followed the
four hundred million dollar wage
reduction of July |, to JUSTIFY an.
other wage reduction, ana tlae
they will strike without even
awaiting a decision OF the iapor
board as to whether another wage
reduction is just and reasonable.
"This is the stage which the
controversy has now reached.
"There is at least one feasible
plan by which 1t can be settled ana
n strike averted. That plan is
predicated oman excellent sugges-
ton made by General Atterbufy OF
the Pennsylvania railroad. in ms
speech at Chicago last Friday. His
suggestion is quoted as follows
Atterbury's Suggestion.
Nevertheless, it Is a fact that
the carriers, though they are not
earning what they should earn 10
entitle them to be called prosper
Gus and what the law intends they
shall earn, can not rest under sucn
while other business
struggles for it's life. 1t would be
a wise policy for the carriers pub
licly to avow that view, and volun-
tarily reduce rates where they now
work hardships, even though such
rates may be reasonable in
sense, ana even
though to reduce them means
loss of revenue to the carriers.
The carriers can do this of their
own volition where it would be inn
proper for the Interstate Com
merce commission to do so. The
would be temporary check
in the rising fortunes of the car
riers and that they can Ill afford
but it would be step in the res
of sound business condi-
tions, and the public should give
to the carriers a real appreciation
Of their act
Can Clear situation Up.
"If the railroads will Immediate
ly, in good faith, adopt this sug-
gestion of General Atterbury the
may be cleared up.
freight rates reduced, the cost of
living reduced. and stimulating
effect exerted on all business.
II would suggest that the wage
cut of July be translated at once
into reduction of freight rat 8.
This would be much more tangible
Continued on Page Two.)