The New York herald., 1921-12-10
Conferences With Employ
ees on Amounts to Precede
Labor Board Action.
COST DATA COMPILED
CertificatiOn by End of Janu-
ary or Early in Febru-
airy Likely.

-Nott llidu SVV ana super
visory officials Of the fifty-two rail-
roads operating north Of the Ohio
River and east Of the Mississippi met
Yesterday at Grand Central Terminal
20 determine the extent to which the
carriers will propose cuts in the pay
of their 10000 employees in carry
ing out the decision of the railway ex-
ecutives to effect a general revision Of
the wages. The wage reduction in
most cases. it was indicated, will wipe
out the last of the 221s per cent ad-
vance granted in 1920.
The railroad arrangements already
had notified the men of their intention
20 readjust wages. Yesterdays meet
ing concerned itself with the assem-
bling and correlation of data on living
costs and wages III on-transportation
industries 10 be used in the approach
ing conferences with representatives
OF the workers and subsequently, when
the disputes are carried to the United
States Railroad Labor Board for final
decision.
Conferences the Next Step.
The next step will be notifications
next week to the various classes of rail-
way employees of the amount of the
proposed reductions and the setting OF
dates for conferences between their rep
rsentatives and the railway managers.
IL is believed that these conferences will
L.
the first OF the year and that the ma
iority of the resulting disputes will have
been certified to the Railroad Labor
Board by the end of January or early
February.
AS a result OF decisions arrived at
yesterday the carriers will propose that
the present hourly pay of n cents for
boilermakers, sheet metal workers.
Asscksmiths electeAuAs-As.d-n
be reduced to 62 cents, or 3 u cents less
than the rate which the Western roads
intend to propose for similar classes of
labor The Eastern roads will ask
freight car repairmen to take cut of
10 cents, to an hourly rate OF SO cents.
Train service employees, including
engineers firemen, conductors, switch
men and trainmen will lose the remain
der Of the 22is per cent. increase
granted to them in the summer of 1920.
With about 121s per cent. Of that in
crease eliminated as of July 1, 1871, the
carriers now move for a further reduc-
tion Of 10 per cent.
Although the new rates sought by the
railroads will vary with local conditions.
the proposed hourly scales for the re-
Id aIa -
generally as follows: Chief signalmen
and gang foremen, 81 cents; signalInen,
81 cents; signalmen's helpers. ~ cents;
track laborers on main line, 80 cents;
track laborers on branch lines. 80 cents,
with maximum of 35 cents for work un-
der exceptional conditions; shop and
rcundhouse laborers 3 cents above track
labor in the immediate vicinity, and
freight handlers 8 cents above the pay
OF track laborera Telcgraphers and
clerks will lose practically the entire re-
mainder of the increase granted in 1920.
The Official Point OF View.
At the close Of yesterdays meeting
J. q. Walber, chief of the bureau OF in
formation for Eastern railways, Issued
statement which said In part
The meeting of the chief operating
officials of the Eastern railroads was
held to consider the results OF investiga-
tions which have been conducted by the
railroads concerning the rates of pay in
outside industries. These investigations
have been conducted as a part OF the
movement for the reduction in yhe wages
OF railroad employees, which the rail-
roads find will be necessary 20 reduce
their operating costs in order to meet
the demands for reductions in the freight
rates.
''The railroads propose to request the
employees to agree to a reduction In the
wage scales so as to establish them
practically upon the basis In effect prior
10 the increases which were granted by
tho United States Railroad Labor Board
effective May 1. 1920. so far as the oc-
equations in outside industries are COM
parable with those in the railroad SER
vice. the rates In such industries have
been taken into account IN decidlng upon
the rates which the railroads will re-
quest. but as there are no occupations in
outside industries comparable with those
In the engine and train service. IL was
decided to request the employees to
sgree to the restoration OF the rates in
Scf. g.