Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-05-31
LABOR 70 Fight
Rail wage CUT
I Unions Will Argue That
More Capital Should be
Put Into Roads
SAYS ROADS .sNIILKED'
Labor People Will Go On Stand With
in Next Week or Ten Days-Want
Laws Erased

-------~-s--
Washington, May S1.Spokesmel
| for organized Labor let it be known
j yesterday that they plan to go befor'
l1 the Senate Committee on Interstate
e Commerce, which is investigating th'
railroads with arguments agaiasi
wage reductions, and m favor of hav
ing the owners put additional capita
INTO the systems. The arguments vii
be similar to those advanced in Chi
cago against wage reductions.
The labor representatives Will mol
contend that the men who actually
have operated the railroads have moi
done a good jjoIo. On the contrary, they
will admit that the railroad nanag-
N ers did excellently we'll considering
their "handicaps, before and after
Government operation. But they VIII
\ contend that the owners of the roads
3 by which they mean great banking
houses such as j. P. Morgan & Co.:
:tnlilked" the railroad system fol
years, deprived them of improve
merits and should now be called upon
] to put in capital that would make
the roads fully efficient, and thus
able to operate> successfully without
/ reduction Of wages.
The alleged milking" process, ac-.
cording to. lauor spokesmen, took so
much money from the roads that
ought 10. have been used for better
Iments and improvements that the
systems under private management
failed to function UP TO needs III 1917.
when war struck the country. The big
banking interests, the Tabor leaders
will tell the committee, should have
put additional capital into the system
when they. We're turned 'nach, to have
enabled the managers of the roads
to. start putting in adequate equip
ment, and recover the ground. lost
during the period when the owners
are charged with having improperly
diverted funds. from bettermenIs.
Having failed to put the new cap
ital needed into the system wher
they were turned back, they should
be called upon to do so now, the "a
bon representatives say. Certain
roads could save enough IN the opera
tacn of modern locomotives, it is cia:m
ed, to pay for them IN two years.
That is given as an example. BY fol
lowing this policy, the lanor people
argue, it would not be necessary to
reduce the wages of railroad labor.
which is called efficient and entitled
ito ample compensation.
The labor representatives take lit
tie stock in the theory that the own
,ars of the roads could not produce
the additional capital needed if they
wanted to do SO. Daniel Willard, presi-
dent of the Baltimore and Ohio, while
saying that many of the improve
ments suggested at Chicago were dis
rr;nctly worth while, held that equip,
ment of all the roadss with modern
locomotives would cost $4,000, ,00O, ,0N
alone. and asked where the none!
rcrld be get.
It is expected the labor people VII
not go on the stand for week OF ~
days. Edward Chambers. vice-presi,
dent Of the Atchison, Topeka ane
lSante Fe, viii resume his testimon!
when the committee meets this morn
ing. Samuel Rea, president Of tht
Pennsylvania, and other systems, vii
Follow, and several days will be oc
cuped by their testimony. 1t :
Thought that it will be mainly in tht
nature Of reaffirn,ation Of the testi
mony previously given for the rail
roads.
The testimony given by the rail
road officials since the investigation
got unaer way shows pEairfy tha
what they are hoping and working fo:
IS to be let sE1re as to laws and rate
whtle the Railroad Laoor Board i
working out and putting into effec
che wage cuts which it has said woul'
/ come. In word. the position of tn
roads is that they are entit.ea, be
cause OF their financial plight and i
simple justice, to continuation o
CONTINUED on Page Four)