Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-30
ARE BITTER AGAINST
WAY MEMS INCREASE
Point Out if Advance Granted
Carriers Would Face
Deficit.
SEE GOVERNMENT coNTno
Adoption OF Principle Adrocnfrd hr
wharton "Surr 10 bring
1t On"
tBy Associated Press ]

CHICAGO oct. 2:.--Attacking the
theory Of Tho living wage. AK
OASIS '"r determining wages o: RAN
ROAD workers. tho public ana rain
road groups OF tho Hallway I.ahor
hohrG In an opinion made pub!ic
tonight. declared such a course. ~
carried 10 !ts legitimate conciu.lo ION
would wreck every railroad I'm ,h.
United states. and II extended to
other countries. would carry them
INTO conu!i!nis:ic ruin"
The opinion. In the form OF A re-
)oinder TO a dissenting opinion flied
ny y. o. Wharton. labor member II,
the recent decision Increasing tho
pay OF ma!ntcnancc-of-way r,npIoy.s
cents an hour. declared !f ON.
pi"yeS were granted a - 10 75-ccnt
m.niinum wage FOR common labor.
with corresponding dlncrcntials for
other CLASSES, An incr"u.c OF 1851
per cent in the nations r1ilro.d
wage bill would be necessary. this.
the "rin!on said. would add t3,I.2-
?"2,3N' 70 tn" annual pay roll. bring.
Ing 1t to 'j,5s?.ii5.e?3. wh!cn would
mean II added. an annual deficit to
the carriers %; s2.2il .63..5lS.
Even IL tho 4i-ccnt minimum
wage. requested by maintenance OF. {.
way men. were granted, and CORES
P''''HS hlNcE"htia!S we're mad. for
other classes OF employees. the opinion
said, an Increase of 5h.i3 p.r cent Ia
wages would be- necessary. adding
si.2f:.3s0.s!i to the annual wage biiI
or the roads bringing II uD 70 s3.-
12".sha. $40. thus forcing the carriers
TO face an annual deficit OF S3IX.O7S.
l25. The phrase living wage" was
termed IN the opinion as "a bit OF
mciiihuous phrascoiogy. well cui,i-
Nhted to deceive the mnthinlting."
Utterly Impractical.
Il! the contentious were that the
board should establish living
wage. the majority would readily
accede 10 tho propositions" the opiu-
the board In this instance, as lin All
Others. has granted living wage.
BGt the abstract. elusive :hIug
called the living wage confess. d V
based upon makcshitt aud guess,
cannot receive thu sanction Of this
board because II would be utterly
Impractical. and would not bc Just
and reasonable as the law demands
MIR. WhaTtou's dissenting oriuion
ana the supporting opinion in re-
ply are attached to tn: formal de-
c!s!on increasing the pay OF main
tenance-of-wa employees cents an
ing from 25 to 81 cents. The United
brotherhood OF maintenance Of Way
Employees. railway shop laborers. held
strike order affecting 100000 men
In abcyance last July after the board
mad reduced wages pending a request
for AN increase based on the contcn-
t!on that the costs of living had ad-
vanccd and wages in other indus
tries had been raised
When the case came up. maintcn-
ance-o way officials asked the board
to subscribe To the principle Of the
living wage" based on Il budget Of
what was required for an average
family Of five persons to live in
health and reasonable comfort. 4
majority of the board refused TO sub
scribe to this principle. asserting that
the transportation act called for es-
tablishing Just and reasonable wage
and that just and reasonable wa.c
was in effect living wage.
Ask 4s-Ccnt Minimum.
The maintenance way organiza-
tion asked the board to establish
minimum rates OF pay OF 4S cents an
hour TO replace rates then In effect
ranging from - to 35 cents. After
deadlock OF several days the boar ri.
made public It's decision formally
handed down today increasing rates
OF pay 2 cents an hour. and adding
about s20.000.000 to the railroads s.
pay roll.
The decision asserted that the in
crease was due mostly to the fact
that higher rates OF wages were be-
ing paid for the Same classes OF
work In other industries. and tha.
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