The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-05-28
MILLION R. R. WORKERS.
FACE WAGE CUT.
MORE PROFITS FOR OWNERS
DEMAND LESS BREAD
FOR WORKERS.

100000 unskilled railroad workers
will go to work at decreased wages
by an order issued last week from
Chicago by the Railroad Wage
Board. The proposed wage cut was
made public last week when the
Board set June / as the date when
the amount of the wage cut would
be announced and July as the first
day Of it's effectiveness.
The wage cut constitutes the Sec
ond storming Of the defenses of the
workers by the Labor Board, the first
being the abrogation of the National
Agreements some weeks ago. The
idea that labor is entitled to all it
can get for the commodity it sells
Its power to labor, finds no justi-
fication in the text of the Boards
announcement wherein it declares:
prevailing conditions justify to
some extent, yet to be determined, a
readjustment downward Of the wages
of the employees Of the carriers" To
the thousands Of section men, con-
struction. workers, cheaply paid clerks
and other elements Of lower paid
railroad workers, it will come as a
surprise that living conditions have
grown so cheap as to justify a wage
cut. 1t is the opinion of railway Of
ficials that the reduction Of wages
Of unskilled workers will be i'm
mediately followed by correspond
ing cut of the skilled workers which
will being the total up to 100000.
Hearings on proposals Of the roads
to cut wages of skilled me will be
heard June 6.
Officials Happy.
The wage cut brings joy to the
camp of the railroad officials who
disclosed their elation with such ex-
pressions as "the statement is en-
couraging but the benefits we will
get from it will depend on the re-
duction that is made" Evidently the
rail owners prefer to get all they
can while the getting is good. V
The persuasive power At the rail-
way officials over the Labor Board
appears to be complete. All nego-
tiations of the roads and the men
before it in disputes have resulted
so far in losses to the workers, while
only on minor matters such as the
desire some weeks ago Of the roads
to cut wages without sanction of
the Board was disaproved. The Board
now proposes to do the cutting it.
self. Certainly its action will have
weight Of authority not contained
in a like action by the roads them
selves. Railroad officials have ex-
pressed themselves as pleased
with the course of events.
The serfs of the railway exploiters
are to be classified by the Board into
IT major categories and these again
divided into 119 groups which are
in turn to be classed in distinctive
grades. This, the Board states, is for
the purpose Of so grouping positions
that wage and other data reported
by the railroads to the interstate
commerce commission and the Board
may be used for administrative and
public purposes, and will not erect
any jurisdictional lines, occupational
boundaries, etc.N
In Washington too.
While the Labor Board is hard
at work in Chicago finding "justifi-
cation" for wage cuts of the workers
on the railroads, the owners Of the
roads thru the officials are fully
rs hard at work in Washington be.
fore the senate interstate commerce
committee investigating the trans.
portation situation. For two weeks
the officials have been telling their
hard luck stories, seeking q raise ir
rates and more rope" and othe,
incidentials to the successful pocket.
ing Of more millions Of profits.
The Southern Pacific could no,
wait until wages came down ant
reduced expenses but filed an ap
plication for an Increase in freigh,
rates. Julius Krutl schnitt, chairman
Of the board Of tile s. P. testified
that that road must have billior
dollars q year either in increased
freight rates or decrease in wage,
in order to operate the road "prop
erly". Kruttschnitt is long in hi,
howl for decreased wages as are al
the other officials who have testi
fled before the committee. Lower
freight rates, say the officials will
not stimulate traffic. The solution
Nof the railroad situation according I,
the officials, Is to employ an arm,
Of underpaid serfs devoid Of economi,
power, and establish as high rates a
they can squeeze from the interstate
commerce commission---a. in the IN
terest Of the public.
The attitude Of the train servic,
employees toward the reductions Il
to be determined at q conference 0.