Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-01-19
DECISIONS OF UNITED STATES RAIL

Eoard issued it Decision No. b. which decision
increased the wages OF approximately two million
railroad employees in an amount estimated by the
railroads to have been approximately $6l8OOOOOO
average for each employee OF $500 per year,
$25.75 per month, or SO cents per day.
As part of this decision the United States
Railroad Labor Board made comments on the
same as follows:
~ The relation between wages and the cost
OF living.
C3) The hazards OF the cmployment
~ The training and skill required
~ The degree OF responsibility
fo) The character and regularity Of the employ
" Inequalities OF increase in wages or OF
Treatment the result OF prev ous wage orders
adjustments
The board ha, cndcavorcd to fix such wages as
r' provide decent living and secure for the chill.
afen Oh the Wageearncrs opportunity for cducation
ne Board decides upon the present dispute and
submission that the rates of increase set out be
low added and applied the rates established for
the positions specified by or under the authority of
the United States Railroad Administration. cons
titute Tor the said positions ON carriers named here
III Just and reasonable wage
his decision although issued under the date Of
July |, 1920, made rcroartvc to Nav / 1920
because OF the great delay amounting to about two
years, in securing the just relief sought bv rail
employees. The Labor Board in its decision rsti
mated that the increase in the cost OF lvino had
been Approximately 100 per cent, and this state
,l'"i was based upon report Of the United States
department of Labor for December. 1919 # !.
KNOWN however, that subsequent to December
i2i'' mere mad been an additional increase in the
cost OF living OF approximately 10 per cent. bu this
"'S ho' made public by the Department of Labor
'"''l aiter the issuance OF Decision No. , Therefore
''e increase IN the cost of living that had reached
t'S peak III tune 1920. not considered in This
decision of the Labor Board
Under the guise of an intention to brino about
substantial reduction in passenger and FREIGHT
'"'eS the railroad corporations bv concert ac+;o,
demanded during the early part of 1921 that wac
eS be promptly reduced back to the rates in effat
nc'ore the issuance of Decision No , Irpdor
great coerclVe pressure the abor Ro,rd .
eed to al railroad EMPLOYEES that inasmuc, a.,a.
ian railroads had already filed reouss,, g..
''uuctionS' and as the Board anticipated that ali
o'"'' r'''roadS would file similar requests 4
"d'e was set tor a hearing upon the matter ,l
was gwen TO the representatives of tbe
wv ',''''oh employees to make defense against
'"," demands OF the railroads. The Labor Board
subsequently conceded five daily sessions of the
'od'd IN which the employees could make defense
immediately following this brief hearino tbc
Dor Board ISSUED its Decision No 14z accnrI;,
me estimate made by the Board, reduced III, ,ahou
costs to the railroads Approximately S4OOOOO 600
Per normal year
"a december l. 1927, the press announced that
.''' i-aoo' Board has issued another decision mall
's No'o the National Agreements" placed in Of
iVot py inc United States Railroad administrators,
",''ch included practically all railroad emnIoves
".'e' t"ah those engaged in engine and train ser
w according to the press reports, if was est;-
i"'eu oy 'he Labor Board that this decision re,;s
's inc rules OF the national agreements would 70
~" IN saving of Labor costs to the railroads IS
approximately 100000 per year, and that with
previous decisions on changes in the nat;o,., ,.o.
"'ents would increase this saving to the railroads
to $l00OOO,0o0 per year
In their protests to Congress and in their demand
tcr immediate reductions in WAGES IS ,.,
the railroads alleged purpose was to mako i 49,
s'Dle to reduce freight and PASSENGER rotns :,
amount equal to the wage reductions and fins mass
80 's''s % Suoh reductions III wages and mod
i'cations OF rules of employment to the Public
Almost SIX months have now elapsed since the
labor Board reduced the labor costs approximately
S4ooOUoOoO per normal year and vet neither the
railroads nor the Interstate Commerce Commits
SION nave VOLUNTEERED or imposed any reductions in
rates that are perceptible to this Public for WHOM,
Presumably the wage reductions were made.
Much Is now being said in the public press Nv,
representatives of the railroads to convince tbe
public that freight rates many commodities have
already been reduced, but who has any personal
knowledge. based upon his own experience Of anv
freight reduction? 1t is said by the representa-
tlves of the railroads that they have reduced the
rates on grain and hay for the benefit of the far