Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-30
DECISION Of.
LABOR BOARD.
IS ATTACKED
BY UN|0N|ST
ut Was a Most Unjust and
lnequitabIe Proceeding,"
Declares Gompers, Presi-
dent of A. F. of /.
ALMOST NO CHANGE
IN COST OF LIVING
Maintenance of Way En-
pIoyes Are PenaIized and
the Railroads Helped by
the Ruling, He States.

Washington, May 90
Attacking in caustic terms
the decision of the railroad
labor board with respect to
wages of maintenance Of
!, way employees, Samuel Com
pers, president of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor
declared today "it was a
most unjust and inequitable
proceeding.
"The minority decision
which says that the new
wage will not allow the
father of a family to pur-
chase as much food as is
allowed an inmate of the
Cook county jail, leaves
little to be said in charac-
terization of the action Of
the majority.
THE railroad workers waited
until July 20. 1921, for an increase
in wages. During the four years
preceding the cost of living had
been rising steadily. The railroad
workers had been compelled to
bear this increased cost without
any compensating wage increase.
IL is proposed now to put wages
back where they were before the
increase of 1920.
Prices Are High.
NO one VIII contend that II
costs less to live now than in 1920.
The fact is there has been almost
no appreciable change in the cost
or living so far as the average fam
liy is considered. Prices Of day
Today requirements are about as
high as ever. Some prices are
higher than ever. Rent, the larg-
est single item for every family, re-
mains as high as ever and IN most
cases is higher.
ut is announced that the reduc-
tion just ordered amounts to I3 2
per cent. My calculation shows
that the wage Of the lowest paid,
those getting 2S cents an hour, are
TO be reduced 17S per cens down
10 23 cents an hour. Those least
able to stand the loss are hit hard
est.
Penalties Workers.
The decision penalties The
workers and helps the railroads. 1t
Is another illustration of the unfit
ness Of the railroad labor boa,d.
Whatever pretense Of fairness
the majority may seek to throw
around its decision will be OF no
value to those who are 20 suffer
the reduction in wages, nor will it
convince workers anywhere Of the
desirability of such tribunals.
THE decision comes to the work.
ers on Monday morning. Monday
morning is getting to be the regu-
lar time for delivering such mes
sages to the worker from court,,
and boards.
Isn't it possible that a clrious
public may be inclined to question
whether there Is not some connec-
tion between the grace ami good
nature with which the railroads ac-
cepted the recent order for freight
reduction and the present order for
this additional reduction in the
wages Of large group of railroad
workers?
Railroads are not noted for
easy acceptance of reductions in
their income. When the interstate e
commerce commission last weeI,
ordered the reduction of freight
rates the railroads were almost
cheerful about it. Last Thursday
they called at the White House and
remarked upon leaving that thvy
had had a pleasant time. Now
comes the reduction with the indi-
cation Of moro wage reductions to
follow.
stockholders Win"
Perhaps the public may re-
member that in its recent freight
rate reduction decision the inter
state commerce commission cut the
rate of reasonable returns from G
per cent down to 5% per cent Tho
wage reduction now ordered inst
about equals the missing quarter
Of / per cent allowed in return on
railroad investments. The stock
holders and the workers have beer
weighed in the balance and tile
stockholders win"