Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-27
DECISION OF BOARD AGAINST
WHICH STRIKE is THREATENED

, ,,
Inc Assoeia'loh vi i''li"as hN-
ecutives, New York, has Issued a
statement quoting the decision of
+,,o ro,1rood ,ohor hoord offec+,va
July l. lSzl' decreasing the "as-
es or empioyes ABOUT IL per cent
against whlch a strike Is now
threatened. the statement IN part
follows; -.
"Ihe united states ralirooad IA
Dor board actlhg uhuer the au-
lhorlty or inc transportation ACT
l9Zo, ana IN furtherance OF the
purpose or sald act herebV rem
derS decision upon series or
controversies between the carriers
and the representatives OF certain
employees OF the carriers involving
the question OF what siiali con-
StItutc just ana reasonable wages.
1855
Immediately after the orCani-
zatlon of this board and on April
Is, 1899, It received and took over
for hearing a dispute that had
been pending before what was
known as the bipartisan board,
between large number Of carriers
which had been under government
control, including most, If not all,
OF those now before the board in
those cases and their employees,
which. dispute, among other
things. involved the question of
wages.
after a full hearing and as
careful consideration as the tire
and conditions would allow, the
board in that case rendered its de-
cision No. Q awarding certain IN
creases and fixing what It deemed
lust and reasonable wages at that
time for all the classes Of employees
of all the carriers then before the
board. That decision or award was
accepted in good faith and acted
on both by the employees and their
emnloyes.
THAT decision was rendered AZ
period Of initiation. rising prices
and high costs of living. Since
then changes, and in some RESPECTS
very decided changes, have taken
place in business, Industrial and
financial conditions in the United
States, and in n varying measure
have affected all industries AMI
the entire public.
1--WE now find ourselves in
period of reimbursement to which
all interests sooner or later must
conform.
Following the raise In wages
granted by this board in decision
No. ., and to some extent based
on that, the Interstate Commerce
commission granted an increase of
rates to the carriers which was
put in force, but after this there
came the inevitable pause in the
rising of prices and business. fol-
lowed by the like inevitable recess
sion. and in some lines a disas-
trous fall in prices. and the re-
sulting cutting down of produc-
ton. This has affected all lines
of industrial life all over the
United States and produced condi-
tons which will have to be met
and in whose burdens all have TO
share.
"Confronted by these conditions
the carriers before us. after con-
ferences with the representatives
of the different classes of their
employees as to n reduction nj
wages, at which conference there
was a failure to reach an agree
mentt have filed their. several
complaints and brought their dis
putes before this board for a de-
cisjon as provided bv law -
at finds that since the rendition
of its decision No. Q there has
been a decrease in the cost of liv-
ing :.
1.-THE board also finds that the
scale of wages for similar kinds
OF work in other Industries has IN
general been decreased. $3.50
"The board believes that baseJ
on these elements shown. 1, q. the
decreased cost of living and the
general decrease In the scaIe re
wages in other industries the de-
creases herein fixed ara Justified
and required $3.50
"There are certain facts and
conditions known 10 ALI and which
can neither be dispnted NOR TO-
nored. Whatever NAV he said az
to the origin or contributing caue-
es. there has been and is n marx