The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-06-18
RAIL CH|EfSf$:::;
SATISFIED; May.
CuT'WACE AGAIN
While Licking Ii ps Over July |
Edict, Owners 0g|e Nations
Treasury.

The railroad arrangements have
licked their lips over the . per cent
cut in wages to take effect July 1st,
decided it tastes pretty good for a
starter and are bowling for more, as
is evidenced by a demand made upon
the railway labor board at Chicago
for the total elimination of the entire
raise in wages granted last August.
At the same time they are demand
ing in curt terms, and with much
show Of heat. that wages be cut to
the bone, they are importuning sena-
tors and consressmen to pass a bill
giving them the right to collect over
$7OO,000,000 alleged to be due them
out of the treasury of these United
States, and at the same time to give
them the right to have IS years in
which to pay the 100000 they
owe the government. In other words,
they want the people of this nation
to pay them all they claim the gov
ernment owes them without delay and
without investigation, despite the fact
that the contracts entered into be-
tween them and the government ex-
pessly stipulated that any amounts
owed to them by the government
should be deducted from what they
claim the government owes them.
Page Cummins- Esch "Aycs.''
They claim that if the money they
allege Uncle Sam owes them is to be
offset by what they owe him, they will
fail in paying the interest on bonds
and dividends on stock, which will
drive them into bankruptcy. Please
page the senators and representatives
who voted for the Cummins- Esch bill.
The railroad shop workers and
other employees are voting on whether
they will accept the cut in wages de-
cided upon by the labor board and
their decision may put another face
on the whole matter. One thing is
certain at this writing-there is MOTH
ing modest about the arrangements
and their demands. They want the
whole hog, tail and squeal included.
How 1t Works Out.
The labor-hating press opines that
the railroad workers should willingly
and gratefully accept a, greater reduc-
ton than II per cent, as they received
an increase during federal control of
over 200 per cent. They further al
low that II per cent is so little that
it will do the country no good and
claims that the measley II per cent
shows up as very small as compared
with 200 per cent.
The statement that wages of rail-
road workers increased zoo per cent
during government control is not a
fact but if it was, a IL per cent reduc-
tion in the total wage is considerably
more than a reduction of twelve per
cent in the increases alleged to have
been granted. If the percentage of
increase was as stated-2O0 per cent
then man earning 500 before such
increase would be earning $500 A
reduction of II per cent of $500
would mean the loss of $36, while a
reduction of - per cent in the in
crease said to have been granted
s200-would amount to $24
"Only $12O."
AS the average pay of the railroad
worker is not now and never has been
over $140 per month, a - per cent
reduction means the loss of about
SIT each month by railroad workers.
And just remember that many. are
paid considerably less than $140 per
month. There's many man working
for the railroads who makes less
than $1,000 year and deducting IL
per cent from that sum means the
loss Of $120. The poorest paid en-
ployes are the ones hit the hardest
and in many instances they lose more
than IL per cent. When you are pay
ing rent, sending children to school
and trying to get by, $3.50 is no meas
ley sum. The glib newspaper hack
who wrote the junk referred to above
would howl like an Indian if he had
to submit to the loss of $12O. but,
then, what's he hired for if not to
belittle honest labor and exalt ex-
plOiters?