The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-29
RAIL CONTROL
IS inefficient
SAYS EXPERT
Root Of Difficulty in made
euacies Of management, De-
clares Lauck, Consulting
Economist, Before Board.
DECIDE PUBL|C'S PART
{By Associated Press)

tBy Associated Press)
CHICAGO, March 2s-The root of
the railroad difficulty is not in ma
tional agreements, but in the made
quacies of management, declared w.
Jett Lauck. consulting economist, of
the railroad labor organizations. in
beginning presentation of railroad Ia
Dor exhibits before the United States
Railroad Labor board today.
"Conservatively stated, if railroad
management was characterized by
reasonable efficiency and had avail
able for its use a proper amount of
capital or credit. labor costs would
have shown a radical decline under
national agreements" Mr.. Iauck de-
clared, 'and savings in operating ex-
penses OF at least one billion dollars
annually would be made, or almost
three million dollars a day. We shall
demonstrate this fact concretely by
reports and analysis which We have
had prepared by reputable railroad
engineers and experts.
To Establish Facts
by the series of exhibits which |
am about to present, we shall estab-
lish the following facts: ], The policy
of establishing national agreements or
uniform rates of pay and working con-
ditions is in conformity with custom
and precedent in the transportation
industry and in accordance with the
best public policy. as shown by the
awards of boa rds of arbitration. and
the acts and recommendation OF 9TH
er official agencies during the pre-
war period.
ON other leading industries of
this country collective bargaining OF a
national scale and national agreements
as to working conditions and relations
have been found to be best means OF
establishing conditions, promoting in
dustrial peace, and accelerating pro-
duction.
Britain Recognizes.
"3-That in Great Britain these
facts have, become SO clearly recognize
ed by both employees and employers
that national agreements are encour
aged by the federated industries and
the Federation of Trades unions as a
whole, and the effort is being exerted
10 make fhem compulsory upon all EN-
ployers and employees in given indus
try.
"4-That the former railroad admin.
istration in entering into national
agreements therefore, merely rec
ognized tendency which had almost
reached complete developmnt prior tc
the war. and which was sanctioned by
enlightened opinion both within and
without the transportation industry.
Sanction Rates.
"5-That the representatives of the
railroads have given their sanction tc
national rates of pay and working
conditions of engine and train crews
give shall further show that the
arguments of the railroads are the
same which have been urged in all
past years to prevent the establish
ment of human standards in industry
and shall demonstrate that the rail
roads are now consciously and deliber
ately taking advance of a temporary
industrial depression to destroy hu
man standards which are sanctioned
by the thought and practice of the
leading industrial nations of the
world"
Decide Public Part.
The United States railroad labor
board today declined TO admit the Ma
tional Industrial Traffic league to the
rules case now before the board.
Hearing of the petitioner would moi
be helpful and would not be in the
public interest" said the board.
The decision also argued that to ad
NIT this organization as party con
testant would result in opening the
gates to dozens of similar bodies anc
perhaps prolong the hearing for q
year.
The league recently took up tbs
cudgel OF the shippers. claiming tc
represen 65 per cent of the country's
shipping interests and asking for abro
cation of the national agreements as q
preliminary to lower freight rates.
The national agreements which the
unions ask to be perpetuated, have
been denounced as wasteful and in
efficient by the railroads, who charged
an additional operating expense O
$500, 600, 900 year was due to the
agreements. The league in it's petition
to the board of recently asked that the
agreements be eliminated and eaci
carrier be allowed to negotiate it's owr
agreements.
Ask Direct Part.
The petition also asked that the
league be made a direct party to tn,
rules case now before the board, de
claring that it's members paid thu
alleged excess operating cost in in
creased shipping rates.
The board faced the problem of de
Gliding whether under the transporta
tion act the law contemplated that tn.
public take an active part in railroat
disputes or whether the two parties il
a controversy should be the sole par
ticipants. Three members of the labo
board constitute the public group t.
take care Of the publcs interest.
RECOGNITION APPEAL