The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-30
LivingWa age
Theory Is
Condemned
Plan for Determining Pay of
Railway Worker. Attacked
by Member, Of L. ).
Labor Board.


Labor Board.
Would Mean Big Deficit
chicag1 Oct 20 lBy A. ~ At
taekng ine theory ~ "thc living
wage aa basis for determining the
wages of railroad workers. the pub
lIc and railroad groups ~ the United
states Railroad labor board IN an
opinion made public tonight declared
that such q course, ~ carried 10 It's
Legitimate conclusion would wreck
every railroad ia the United States
md II extended 10 Jther Industries,
would carry them into communlstlc
uln'
The opinion ln the form OF = re
ohder 70 4 dissenting opinion Ciled
F a o Wharton. labor mcmbcr, IN
ile recent decision increasing the pay
~ maintenance of way employees
cents an hour. declared that II en-.
ploycs were granted ~ 20 75.cent
WIN corresponding dlfferentlals for
other classes. an increasc Of 1871 per
cent In ,he nations railroad wage
bll would be necessary This, the
opinion tald would add i3.1i2.952 .3s7
70 the annual payroll bringing II to
40 $50 4i5J93. which would mean, II
ndded an annual deficit TO the car
iers Of s22ll 63g BIS
Would Face Deficit.
Even II the ascent minimum wage
1ucsted hy malnionance.oiw way
orkers were granted and corre
aaondng dlffcrcntluls were made for
cher glasses of employees the opinion
Nald. an ncrense OF 50ij per cent ~
wages would be necessary. adding 81
2la3gO.914 To the annual wage bill Of
.he roads. bringing II up 10 s3,725.sS4
$40 lhus forcing the carriers TO face
an annual deficit OF f3iS,07Sl25.
The phrase Giving wage" Was
termed In the opinion as "a bit OF
mciifuous phraseology, well calculat-
t 10 deceive the unihinking.' II
tho contentious were that the board
.Aould establish living wage the
najnrlty would readily aecede 70 the
proposition. the opinion said. And
as a matter of fact, the board in this
inglance. as in all others, has granted
Il living wage But the abstract elu.
aiye thing called "the living wage,
confessedly based upon makeshlft
and guess, cannot receive the sane
lion Of this board, because II would
lie utterly impractical and would not
bo 'just and reasonable as the law
demands.
Urged Reasonable Wage
Mr. Wha,ton's dissenting opinion I
and the supporting opinion IN rcpiy
nro attached to the formal decision
Increasing the pay of maintenance ~
way employees cents an hour, estab I
ushing a minimum ranging from y
IN AZ cents. The United brotherhood
of Maintenance Of Way Employees ana
Railway shop Laborers held strike Or
der affecting 400 900 men In abeyane
last July, after the board had re
duced wages pending request Tor
IN increase based on the contention
that the costs Of living had advanced
and wages In other industries had been |
rmred
when the case came before lhe
board the maintenance OF way pl' |
tlcials asked the board to subscrlpe
ta the principle Of the living wage /
Lused on a budget Of what was re-
,ulred for an average family OF fiVe |
n,rsons TO live in health and reason /
able comfort. \ majority Of the board /
refused to subscribe to tins pfll' 7
ciple, asserting that the transporla' /
.tton act called for establishing
euat and reasonable wage and tha'
"a iust and reasonable wage was III 4
effect a living wage'
Asked Minimum Rates.
The maintenance OF way orsaniza' (
ron asked the board Ia estaellsh F
,ainlmum rates os pay Of AN cents an .
bonr To replace rates then in elect (
,,,npina from % to s. cents. After 4
, deadlock lasting several DAYS, the .
hoard made public its decision form .
nuy handed down today ineieasins (
,ates of pay . cents an hour and /
edding about s2oooo,0oo to the fa"' "
road payroll a.. t..
The decision assorted that the III. \
,,aasn WAS due mostly TO the tact .
W., hishet rates ~ wages were he' +
,g mid for the sonie classes 81 WORK .
II .ihcr industries aud that there had !
lsen no apprceiahle increase In me .
,osi ot living
.ntn,op maintained that the "fuHda
Dental srtar" et the decision restea .
,.nen fsfJnre "a inquire into 'the aae
.s0s,v II rates IL pay established tot
,s.,nn men and uaskilei mb"tefs
lta a..sfiri thai Yates of paN iu othrl
t..n.trt.. st umlAr character -hah'd
- ,.str = sssaudaU eansitl. rtti"h
and that tine pflBe fartW tn he e0N
stsg,,f was whtlhlf the rtira hNt'
.ete inst and reasonable wh'eh "a
.aA meant tu adequate ana hs1hs
uase undpg the terms e ths tisns
Ionatsnn act
t4s maintained ihai ihs LAYS - Hln
Il. ,s8 dsu,ard whish ats rtirA in .
aa.,ts uassstr.ss 20 as t0e nthf q
la shmld nal be takta 81 a tsss .
nf tha islsr haam fh tsasfA ne
tlat-nkt shauh eHd ehat sheitia
a.t auA fsasona s*sf ~
mpains faaly baasFt unfH'n .
mK csc expresses e she attEasf
fsntt
1liiesr. IL Seattle lirn