The Ocala banner., 1921-10-28
Raj WAY STRIKE is PROTEST
AGAINST WAGE CUTS AND
NOT ATTEMPT TO GET
MORE MONEY

merated by w. Ct. Lee, president OF
the Brotherhood OF Railway Train
men, in statement to the Associated
Press. The statement was is
sued, Mr. Lee explained, because the
public is rather confused as to its
causes, some. believing it is for higher
wages.
The three causes were ascribed by
Mr.. Lee as follows:
/. The wage reduction of July 1.
q. Proposed elimination of rules
which would mean still further re-
ductions.
The three local brotherhood chiefs:
Mr.. Lee, OF TraiHmen; Warren S.
Stone, of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers, and w. S. Carter,
of the Brotherhood of Firemen and
Enginemen, while preparing to obey
the citation to appear before the rail
road labor board in Chicago were also
going ahead with plans to carry out
the strike.
Lees Statement
Mr. Lees statement as to the caus-
es of the strike follow:
The public is rather confused as
to the causes for the railway strike
There is belief on the part of
some that the strike is for higher
wages and not protest against the
wage reductions and the elimination
of rules which would mean still fur
ther reductions.
Railroad transportation employees,
even when peak wages were paid,
did not receive advanced wages in
keeping with the increased living
costs The rate paid transportation
men was fixed for all classes in the
United States in 1913, and regardless
of the increased costs of living, there
were no increased wages for these
employees until January l, 1918, and
only then after most searching in
vestigation had been made by the
Lane commission to determine what
should be the reasonableness of
wages paid transportation employees.
This commission reported that wages
were inadequate and contrary to pub
lie opinion, did not measure classes
of service.
S80.10 Average Wages in 1917
The rate of freight brakeman
between Chicago and New York was
$2.67 a day, which was referred to by
the railways in their publicity cam
paigns as princely wage and the
public, naturally supposing that a
business representing so much as the
railway representing would tell the
truth, accepted the railway statement
without question. 1t does not take
long to determine how much could
be earned in a month of 80 days at a
rate of $2.67 per day. Until Jan
uary /, 1918. sS01O was the prince
" wage some fifty odd thousand rail-
road men received in what is known
as eastern territory Other wages
were in proportion to the wages Of
the freight brakeman.
With the reduction in wages of
July /, 1921, the present wage OF
this employe is $13440 for 80 days in
the month and he is fortunate indeed,
il he is able to make every day in
the month. The hazards of the ser
vice, exposure to the weather and
very many other reasons all contribute
their share toward making him an in
teTmittent as well as piece worker
Transportation employees are not paid
by the month, but by the day, or trip
Il business requires, they work; if
not, they lose the time. There are
comparatively few men now working
full time. There are thousands of
those men out of work, many of whorl
have as high as Is years service, be-
cause there is no need for them, while
others try to live on few days
month, which is al. the railway service
requires from them. Let it be known
that no transportation wages are paid
unless the time is made.
Railway Propaganda "unfair'
1t is true that the railway com
Danies show wages earned in much
higher amounts than those quoted, but
they do not tell that the higher month
ly rates do not represent full time
and overtime. At present everyone
who is forced to work extra time ex-
poets to be paid for it.
The railroad companies have not
been fair in their propaganda against
the employees and it is to be hoped
that before the trouble is over that
prejudiced opinion based on railway
publicity nisstatements will under
stand thn exact wapn that NAV hn