The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-20
FINDING A WAY QUIZ

When a situation is unfair or I'M
just, its victims sooner or later find a
way to change 1t or to get around It.
/ 1t generally is recognized that the
wages of railroad employees were
placed so high by the government that
many of the roads have been unable
to make a fair return on their invest
ment. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
that owing to their inability to obtain
reduction in wages some roads have
faryned out their shopwork to persons
who could do it more cheaply because
they do not come under, control OF the
railroad labor board.
Another effect of government con-
troll Of railroad wages has just made
it's appearance. The Erie road, it is
reported, is leasing its freight houses
to a Notwithstanding company, which
hires its own employees, and these are
not railroad men, but workers for the
handling concern. This will result, It
is believed, in a large saving and not
interfere with the promptness and ac-
curacy of the work.
The railroads have announced their
intention to reduce the wages of their
employees all along the line-train
service men 10 per cent from the
present scale, and others to the levels
paid for similar labor in the various
markets for such labor. These reduc-
tons are to be subject to conferences
with their employees and the rulings of
the railroad labor board, hearings be-
fore which are now being held.
1t should be borne in mind that re-
auctions of wages, even to a very con-
siderable extent, would not complete
ly readjust the railroad labor situa-
ton. 1t would not bring the system
back to normal as practised before
government control. There still re-
main 1s6 rules of the national agree
ments, and the obstruction in the way
of wiping out these war time expedi-
ents is the United States railroad Ia
Dor board.
The principal reason for continu-
ance of inactivity in business is the
low prices on output by primal pro-
ducers, including farm products, as
compared with the cost of manufac-
tured goods. transportation, and other
similar products and services. And
these latter high costs are mainly the
result of obstinate resistance to wage
reductions.
The situation is in large part
chargeable to the action of organized
labor in clinging to wartime wage
rates, says George E. Roberts in the
National City Bank January circular,
and he adds:
Raw materials and foodstuffs have
had great decline at wholesale, but
between the wholesale markets and
consumers the cost of handling and
manufacturing has not declined in
like proportions. The effect is to OBJ
struct the distribution of goods and
throw millions. Of wage earners out of
employment, at the same time keep
ing up the cost of living on the entire
wage earning population. In the ag-
gregate there is no gain, but a great
loss, to the wage earners as a class.
1t must be apparent by this time
that employers cannot be forced to
pay wages above what the traffic will
bear and that they will find some way
to lower the cost of carrying on their
business. Those who continue to re-
fuse to yield to the trend in the direc-
ton of lower wages. therefore, may
find themselves out of employment, as
some already have done.