The New York herald., 1921-03-09
RAIL WORKERS
I ASK FOR TIME ON
WAGE REDUCTION
Cuts Ranging From ) IL to
II Cents an Hour Proposed
by New York Central.
.COMMON LABOR FIRST
.Skilled Men Represented at
Meeting as They Expect
Decreases.
rOTHER ROADS IN LINE
All Eastern Companies to
Make Similar Proposals
to Employees.
COMMON LABOR FIRST
-OTHER ROADS IN LINE

The initial attempt by the New York
Central Railroad TO come TO an agree
ment with its common labor over the
.revision of wage scales it proposes TO
put into effect April was made yes
tterday. but without definite result.
THE representatives of the men did
not reject fatty the programme Of
.fered them by the representatives of
fhe railroad-W. j. Fripp, general
manager of the lines east, and A. >.
,Ingalls, general manager of the lines
west. of Buffalo-but asked that they
be given until March %, when an
other meeting will take place with the
union delegates holding the official
reply of the men they represent.
The representatives of the unions
let it be known that they will be the
most surprised of men If the workers
they represent agree to the new wage
schedule. Briefly, it means that the
wages of the unskilled workmen will
suffer cut of from 5 u cents to IA
cents an hour beginning April l. The
average decrease to take effect on the
first of the month is 13 cents and
every man employed by the road un-
der the classification of unskilled labor
will be affected. BY this expedient the
corporation expects to effect saving
of approximately S1,00o,O00 month.
The mems representatives were of the
opinion that ii would be difficult to
restrain some of the more impetuous
from talking strike Immediately, even
abandoning the conference on March p.
There were fifty of these representatives
in the conference with Mr.. ingalls, and
Mr.. Fripp. William H. Barker, chair
man of the Brotherhood of Maintenance
of Way and shop Workers. and Anthony
Spair, general organizer for this brother
hood in the New York district did the
talking for the employees.
The Company's Proposal.
Mr.. Fripp read the company's proposal
to the men. 1t took the nature OF a
general order and reads:
Proposed revision In rates effective
April /, 1921: Proposed rate for labor
on piers In the New York district now
receiving 81 cents will be reduced to 45
cents an hour. Track laborers at prin-
cipal points reduced to 40 cents an hour
(the present scale is 4s1a cents). and
this will be the maximum, with lower
rates at intermediate points. The rates
for other classes. covered by the circular
of February % (Which announced the
proposed reductions and called the meet
ing), to be reduced to those in effect
prior to the effective date of No. of
the United States Railroad Labor
Board"
This last mentioned increase refers to
the general advance granted by the
Labor Board in July. 1920--a sliding
scale increase from 20 cents down to
about 5. The unskilled labor received
by that order an average increase of
I3 cents an hour. The railroad officials
produced statistics prepared for the oc-
casion. They assured the men that they
thus could prove that the cost of living
had passed over the maximum crest and
was on the decline. At the coming con-
ference the men propose to offer re-
buttal to such statistical argument The