The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-10-29
RAILROADS HELD
To ACC0UNTF0 FOR
LABOR TROUBLES
Committee Of 48 Puts Respon-
sibhty Upon Shoulders Of
Railway Executives.


"The psychological. affect upon
public sentiment may be distinctly
unfavorable to the railway employees,
but If the facts were generally known
the reaction might be quite the OPP
posite."
The above declaration was made in
a public statement issued by the
Committee Of Forty Eight this week
in discussion of the present troubles
in railroad circles.
THE responsibility for provoking
the strike" says the statement,
rests squarely upon shoulders of the
Railroad Executives. who by their
intentional and insidious misrepre-
the public as to the facts, particularly
as to the wages they are paying their
employees, and have made it appear
that the reason for the collapse of
private ownership is entirely due 20
the high wages demanded by their
employees. This is absolutely false.
THE official figures issued by the
u. S. Railroad Labor Board show
that the railroad workers, instead OF
enjoying undue prosperity have been
receiving an average wage of only
1895 per annum, which has now
been cut 12k per cent and reduced
to $1484, or less than 500 per week.
AS against this the minimum stand
ard Of comfort on which the average
man can support himself and his
family has been fixed by the Bureau
of Applied Economics at $4,000 per
annum.
do the railroad executives mean
that they are unwilling to pay their
employees living wage or that they
cannot do so and operate the rail-
roads successfully?
''Uuder these circumstances it is
no wonder that the threat Of fur
ther cut of 10 per cent precipitated
a strike.
Railroad wages increased only IS
per cent (this has now been cut 1917
per cent? between 1914 and 1920,
but the cost of fuel, furnished by the
coal companies owned and controlled
by the Railroad Executives has in
creased 500 per cent during the same
period. Why? Because when the
railroads were ordered to technically
segregate their coal properties from
the railroad interests the insiders
grasped this golden opportunity to
organize coal companies Of their own.
who raised the price Of coal to fabu-
lous figures, sold it back to- the rail-
roads and pocketed the difference.
Then they shamelessly turned around,
unloaded the deficits arising from
these and many other similar tram
sactions upon the government under
the pernicious guarantees contained
in the Esch-Cummins law, collected
these amounts from the taxpayers,
$500, 100000 from the long suffering
public through capitalizing their
debts and requiring that the Wa
Finance corporation Con behalf of
the Federal Government) guarantee
their bonds.
DO the people realize that not
single railroad has ever paid off a
single bond? Do they know that no
sinking funds have ever been set
aside for this purpose? And that the
railroads today have no intention of
ever doing so?
Does the individual railroad bond
holder realize that the only chance
he has Of collecting his principal is
by selling his bonds to another indivi-
dual as ignorant as hfmself?
And finally, does the man on the
street know that the railroad en-
ployes instead Of receiving the high
wages we hear so much about are
being paid an average of only $4.54
per day?
THE Committee of Forty-Eight
has put these facts squarely before
the railroad executives and they were
shamed into silence. But the Ameri-
can public are differently constituted.
it is safe to predict that with the
same information before them they
will place the blame where it belongs.
And it is not unreasonable that
they will rally to the support of the
Committee of 48 in their determina-
+ ton to put a new political party
pledged to government ownership of
our transportation system into the
field in time for the 1922 conghes-
stonal elections.
MoNoCHRoN1ATIC ALTERATION,
Mercy-I hear that Jack is in Jail
again. How did it happen?
/ Percy-Oh. he sat in at little game.
Mercy-What Of that?
Percy-Too reckless. Struck it
rich and played three aces to win.
Mercy-Get the pot?
Percy-No, the jug.
Mercy-Elucidate.
Percy-All black.
Mercy-Just to prove my theory
.Percy-Spill:
i Mercy--Every silver lining has its
dark cloud. - :. So +. ; -.