The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-02-16
ARGUMENT HEARD
IN ATLANTA CASE
PERMISSION SOUGHT TO RE-
DUCE WAGES. ATLANTA,
BIRMINGHAM AND ATLANTIC
LINE TELLS OF HEAVY DE-
FIcIT-QUESTION OF POWER

FICIT-QUESTIO Or POWEK
Chicago, Feb. 15.-The United
States railroad labor board today
heard arguments on the Atlanta, Bir-
mingham & Atlantic railroads plea
for permission to reduce wages. The
case produced a wider variety of
evidence and is said by railroad men
to be of greater Importance than
any other single line dispute yet
brought before the board.
The argument hinged On whether
the board had jurisdiction over the
roads financial status which furI
nished the railroads principal rea-
son for wanting to reduce wages. 1t
declared that a reduction of wages
was made imperative because the
board faced a monthly deficit of
100000.
Summed up by Col. B. L. Bugg,
president of the road, the roads po-
sition was: SIS the board going to
disregard conditions of tariff? Is
the board to fix rates regardless of
the railroads earning power If the
board can fix wages without regard
to other conditions than the claims
of the employees then, it is just as
we'll that we have no representation
here"
For the employees, W. S. Carter,
president of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen and Engine
men stated his case thus: "It has
never before been suggested that
wages be made to depend on the fl
nancial status of a road. We are
willing to make test cases before
the courts on the constitutionality
of the transportation act. If the con-
ention of the A. B. & A. stand
then on the Delaware, Lackwanna
and Western, which is able to pay
twice as much, we will come in to-
morrow with a request for an in
crease in wages"
Representative of the A. B. & A.
were on the stand most of the day.
Col. Bugg answered many points of
the employees argument in previous
testimony and added there was no
use to ask the interstate commerce
commission for a larger share of
rates on hauls extending beyond the
A. B: & A. Lines. He said he thought
the road was receiving it's fair divis-
ion.
Before any conferences we're call
ed with employees, Col. Bugg said,
officers of the road went over all the
difficulties and followed every
thread which promised relief before
asking for wage reduction"
Morris Brandon, counsel for the
road, declared if the board disre-
garded inability to pay for one road
it could do so for all roads and the
result would be chaos. He said the
wages granted by decision No 2. of
the labor board last July were the
highest ever paid the men and were
granted under extraordinary con-
ditions when the cost of living was
the highest we've known"
The railroads testimony precipita-
ted another protest from the en-
ployees' side. They contended that
the original dispute arose on the
roads proposition that it was finan-
cially unable to pay the wages now
in effect. Later testimony as to low
er cost of living, unemployment and
comparative rates of labor in other
industries were beside the point, ac-
cording to E. P. Curtis of the. en-
ployees' committee. .
Attorney Brandon replied for the
road that it was a case of paying
lower wages or scrapping the road.
The closing arguments of the af-
ternoon completed the case, which
will be considered by the board in
executive session. No indication was
given of when a decision will be rem