The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-18
CONFERENCE OF


Continued rom Page One,
aggressive warfare against them until
they force the men to strike. There
fore they must reluctantly decide to
accept the challenge now"
Wages Fixed in 1918.
Mr.. Lees statement in part follows:
The wages of train and yard serV-
ice employees were fixed in 1913 and
were not changed, except in a very
few minor instances, until January 1,
1918. Time and one-half for over
time was not allowed yard employees
until April 10, 1919, and for road en-
plOyes, until December 1, 1919. The
award of the-United States railroad
labor board which fixed wages at the
peak became effective May I, 1920,
while the wage reduction on which the
present controversy hinges became
demands for the elimination of time
and one-half for overtime, rules allow
ing extra pay for extra service per-
formed and further wage reductions
were made following the award eff
fectiye July 1, 1921.
Prom 1918, thru the period in
which this country became financially
interested in the European war and
until January l, 1918, transportation
employees did not receive any advance
in their daily or monthly wages. The
enactment of the Adamson law which
was declared constitutional March 10,
1917, did not increase the daily wage
OF the employees affected-that is, it
did not increase either the daily or
monthly wages of the men interested.
Wage Case Is Exhibited.
For the purpose of clearness, we
offer for exhibit the wages of a thru
freight brakeman running into New
York in 1913, whose wages were fixed
by the arbitration board of that year,
and which wage rate remained in full
force and effect until January 1, 1918.
This is a typical wage earned by an
employe whose class transports more
than 80 per cent of the freight bust
ness of this country. This employe
received in the eastern territory $2.67
for his normal days work of 100 miles
within ten hours, or S80.10 for 80
day month. With the increase of Janu-
AIRY I, 1918, he received approximately
$1.04 additional, which made his daily
rate 1911 and his monthly wage for
a 30-day month $111.30. Supplement
number sixteen, effective January 1,
1919, brought his daily rate to $4.0S
and his monthly wage for a 30-day
month $122.40, and the decision of the
United States railroad board, effective
May 1, 1920. brought the daily rate
of the thru freight brakeman running
into New York to $5.12, which multi
gave him a monthly wage of $153.60.
The wage decrease effective July 1,
1921, reduced the monthly rate to
S134 for thirty days service, on which
amount he is expected to maintain
his family decently and reasonably,
and he cannot do it, as everyone who
is trying to maintain an American
standard of living understands.
"This is an exhibit of a typical
transportation wage increase. The
wage quoted is a typical train service
wage Percentages of increase show
that wages have been very much in
creased but in money amounts they
will not show so favorably. In fact,
with the reduction of II per cent.
threatened abrogation of all schedule
rules and further wage reductions, the
employee knows that it is impossible
for him to live on the daily or monthly
rates as proposed unless he is willing
to work at least day and a half in
order to earn enough to live day.
Many Advantages Taken Away.
Another source of aggravation to
the employees which they bitterly re-
sent is the disposition of the railroads
to take away from them all of the ad-
vantages that were secured thru sew
eral years of collective bargaining. By
agreement with the railroads special
allowances were provided for special
service. 1t is now the purpose of the
railroads to ask for the elimination of
time and one-half for overtime and
there is no intimation that they pro-
pose to restore what allowances were
sacrificed when time and one-hah was
established. Regardless of popular
opinion to the effect that all employees
are worked on the eight-hour basis in
transportation service. thu fact is that
there is no eight-hour day in train
service except as a basis for fixing a
normal days work. Trainmen, both
-
overtime until they have used up the
time allowance on the mileage of the