Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-31
RAIL LABOR BOARD.
Continued From Page /

Touching upon the question of wage
reductions in connection with the re-
uuested action by the board, Mr. At
terhury said
IF the board will do this. the labor
committee of the Association OF Rail-
way Executives will urge upon every
railroad company "a party TO decision
number two, that no proposal for the
reduction Of basic wages shall be made
within the next succeeding ninety days.
This VIII afford an opportunity TO
gauge the economies which can be ac-
complished through more Efficient rules
and working conditions. 1T will also
afford additional time in which to
realize the benefits of a further decline
in the cost of living"
THE national agreements. rules and
working conditions forced on the rail-
roads as war measures. the statement
saws. cause gross waste and inef-
hciency.'
Il estimate that the elimination of
this waste would reduce railway oper-
ating expenses $500, 100000 per annum-
II would be far better to save this
| sum by restoring conditions of efficient
and economical operation than to re-
duce wages.
| I'VE believe that as the wages OF
| railroad employees were the last TO go
/ up. they should be the last 10 come
/ down. but we do insist that for an
| ample wage, an honest days work shall
| be given.
THE public has a right to insist
| that this must be obtained. The pub
| lie has also the right to expect that the
| railway executives. with the co-opera-
| ton Of the regulatory bodies and the
/ employees, will as rapidly as possible
| reduce the cost Of railway operation SO
| as to Eventually insure reduction in
| rates. Ultimately a readjustment or
| basic wages win be required Mean
| time IL is TO the interests Of all con-
cerned, including labor. that the rules
| and working conditions shah be made
| conducive 10 the highest efficiency in
| output per man.
THE railroad committee presenting
| evidence for the abrogation of the
| national agreements have far from ex-
| hausted their evidence on this subject
! But II will be dangerous to continue
| the consideration of these agreements
| ,-,1le bv rule II the board follows its
present procedure, months will elapse
| before il can render its decision.
THE urgent financial necessities o.
the railroads will not permit them u
wait any such length of time for re
lief. II will be impossible for the
board to hear and dispose of thes'
separate cases upon their merits II
time to avoid numerous receivership
and the possibility of national panic
"'Your board cannot possibly writ
the rules and working conditions o
every railroad in this country and ad
Just them equitably 10 varying geo
graphical. operating and social condi
tons.
''It rests entirely with your board Z
determine within the next few day
whether this whole situation shall drift
into chaos, and orderly procedure be
come impossible except at the price o
railroad bankruptcy, financial shocl
and still wider unemployment.
.'The course which we are recon
mending is not only imperative bu
equitable"
Perpetuation of the extraordinar
provisions of the war period as tn
normal rules and working condition
would be a distinct violation Of tn
promises of President Wilson, TO in
vestors of railway securities. when tn
carriers were taken over by the Fed
eraI Railroad Administration, in Decen
Der. 1917, MIR. Atterbury declared. In
, vestors were guaranteed, he said, tha
their rights and Interests would be q
, scrupulously guarded by the Govern
ment, as they had been by the direc
tors of the rail systems, adm that Fec
eraI control would be carried on with 8
: little disturbance as possible OF tn
personnel of the roads.
, Conditional upon the abrogation {
the national agreements by the Labo
Board, the roads ask in addition thf
the basic rates for unskilled labor, fixe
at 80 to 48i4 cents per hour in tn
award of July 1920, be Immediately RI
tracted.