New-York tribune., 1921-06-04
SAYS Roads Lost
Millions Through
Pact With Unions
Whittier Tells Senate Com
mittec Production Fell
Off as Result of National
Agreements; Cites Tests
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON, June 3. - With a
large share of the evidence of the rail
road executives before it, the Senate
Interstate Commerce Committee day
adjourned its hearings until June Ia
because of other matters before it. 1t
is expected the railroad side of the
controversy will be completed soon
after the committee reconvenes, after
which the labor side and the shippers
will submit their case.
More evidence as to the workings of
the national agreements and other
rules of the railroad administration
was offered to the committee to-day.
E. T. Whittier, of Philadelphia, chair
man of the conference committee Of
managers, said these agreements and
rus had cost the roads millions of
dollars. He said the estimate of Vice
President w. w. Atterbury of the
Pennsylvania Of $300,000,000 was con-
servativc.
Under an order of July 28., 1918, by
which men employed on piece work
were guaranteed the same minimum
hourly rates as those of hourly work
ers. Mr.. Whittier said there was a de-
crease of 10 to 40 per cent of the out
put of men employed on piece work.
Tests by four Of the largest roads, he
said, showed that if these men had
been paid on piece basis their work
would have yielded % to So cents an
hour instead of SO cents. Piece work
was finally abolished by the director
general.
Time Clock Cost Thousands
Referring to burdens imposed on
the roads by the national agreements
Mr.. Whittier said the rule allowing en-
ployees one hour extra pay each week
for punching clocks cost the railroads
$6,445,653 the first six months in 1920.
Mr.. Whittier read a large number of
instances where, under the national
agreements, employees substituting
in foreman's position were paid more
than the foreman's rate of pay had the
foreman continued at work.
In one instance an employee on the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad,
he said, was paid 1921 for temporarily
occupying a foreman's position, while
the amount of wages the foreman
would have received for the same
length of time would have been 1864,
or $257 less. A machinist temporarily
holding the position of genaral fore.
road received $179.35, Mr.. Winter said,
which was an increase of $43 83 over
the regular foreman's alary for the
same period.
Referring to a rule to prevent rail
roads using blacklsts, the witness said
none of the roads that he knew of have
blacklists or had when the rule was
adopted.
Paid for Work Not Performed
AS "pernicious example of pay
ment for work not performed,' Mr..
Whittier told of shop employee of the
Atchlson, Topeka & Sante Fe Railroad
who, for working one hour and fifteen
minutes over the regular eight hours,
was paid, under the rules, time and
half for the ninth hour. and five
hours time for the fifteen minutes.
"A check at Shopton, Iowa, for one
month indicated that there were thir-
ty-four cases where men worked over
the ninth hour to get engines into
service" Mr.. Whittier said. THE actual
time worked in all thirty-four cases
was 46.2 hours and the allowance was
ITO hours, Or penalty of 1898 hours"
Mr.. Whittier also told of four men
who were sent from the shops where
they were regularly employed to
point out on the line to repair a tank
car being paid a total of $75.O4, or for
a total of .112 hours at 67 cents an
hour, for work which would have oc-
cupied one man 18 hours and 12
minutes and which at 67 cents an hour
would have totaled 1920.
He gave other instances of how the
agreements and rules had operated 70
cost the roads enhanced sums for
wares