Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-05-18
4. BOARD 10
0R0ER WAGE GUT.
Conditions Justify Readjust
ment, Formal State 1
meIlt Says
TO DECIDE JUNE 4
Cases Yet to be Heard Will be Acted
Upon Month Later-Two Million.
Affected

Chicago, May 1s.--The Unites
States Railroad Labor Board late to-
& Gay announced it's intention Of reyis
ing downward the wages of more thar
10000 unskilled rail workers, eff.
fectiye July l. The amount of the
decrease will be made public June l
At the same tine the board an
nounced that it would hold hearings
June regarding proposals by the
roads to decrease the wages OF othe,
classes of employees and would also
make its decision in these cases ef-
fective also July. A similar deciion in
the case Of skilled workers would
mean cut in the pay of practically
every railway workers in the country
July l and would affect approxima-;
tely 100000 men, it was pointed out.
The announcement today whichssaid
that prevailing conditions justify to
some extent, yet to De determined, a
readjustunent downward of wages
was entirely unexpected, and came
only few hours after the close OF
the hearings which have been in prog
ress since early in April. Neither the
roads nor the representatives OF the
unions had expected any announce.
n ent foFtseyeral weeks. - sssa,
On July 20, 1920, the board render
1ed-a decision increasing the--pay OF
all classes of railway employees APP
lroximately 81 per cent, or about
$500 600, 900 year.
Today's announcement that the
board felt that prevailing conditions"
justified revision downward in wages
was the first indication Of its atti-
tude on the wage question.
Tie text of the boards statement
follows:
aWhereas, under date of April 6,
1921, the United States Railroad La
.:or Board adopted resolution which
recited, among other things, that in
the Judgment of the board it is de-
siirable to hear at one time and de-
eide in one decision, so far as may be
possible, the question as to what may
constitute just and reasonable wages
for all classes of employees Of carriers
parties to decision number . as to
whose wages. there may be Disputes;
and,
'Whereas the board has now heard
the evidence and arguments of both
parties to all such disputes which
were filed and dcckete dpror to April
1e, 1921, but since said date a large
number of applications fdr decision on
SIMILAR disputes have been filed and
there are reasonable grounds to be-
!;eve that still other such applica-
tons are about to be filed; and
Whereas the Railroad Labor Board
mas this day, BY formal resolution, de-
clared that in its judgment, based
upcn the evidence before itiin the dis
putes already heard, prevailing condi
tions justify to some extent yet to be
determined a readjustment down
ward Of the wages Of the employees O.
the carriers which are parties to The
disputes already heard by the Labor
Board; therefore De it
'Resolved. /. That this board VIII
en- June l, 1921, announce ITS deci,
sion, covering the disputes as tt
wages between carriers and their en-,
plcyes, which have been heretofore
heard by the beard, to become effec.
tive July /, 1921.
q. That Monday, June s, 1921, be
set as ths date when this board vii
hear the representatives of the. part
les to disputes filed since April 1S
1927. or which may yet be filed an
dccketed prior to June s, It being tht
purpose of the Railroad Labor Boar
to make its decision of..,the dispute:
aeard June s, 1921, effective July ]
1921" ,..at-a,6s,,, ,,zg ss
Railroad executive sand represents
tives of the employees refused to con,
ment on the board's..announeements
The board aisosi' announced nes
and comprehensive classification 0
railroad labor to benassd as the oasi
for the collection Of data for the sci
.tlement Of disputes that may'eonfe be
IA fore the board in the future. The ne