The Connecticut labor news., 1922-06-16
TROLLEYllEN GET ANOTHER CUT IN WAGES BY ARBITRATION BOARD
 BRINGING MAXIMUM TO E CENTS
Previous Increases Low.

"In fixing the rate last year at $ cents the chairman at least was influ- enced by the belief that, without any fault of the company, the increases in wages during the years IoI8-Io-2o had not kept pace with the increase in the cost Of living; so that the com pany still in fairness, owed the men some back pay. The Go cent rate agreed on in June, 1920, was a fair rate under existing conditions; and in June, 1921, the cost of living had gone down little over 20 per cent. This decrease in the cost of living called for a greater reduction than I-3 per cent in the rate of wages, and, the rate was fixed at $ cents instead Of at a somewhat lower figure in order to pay the existing debt caused by deficiency of wages during the three years ending June I, 1921. That debt has now been substantially if not wholly paid.
 "In other words, majority of the board was of the opinion last year that something less than $ cents was fair wage under existing conditions of cost of living and current rate of wages, but added something for back pay which brought the rate up to 5 cents. For this reason, in considering the relation between the present rate of wages and the cost of living, we take the rate of Go cents agreed on i'll 1920 as a basis, rather than the 5i cent rate fixed last year, because this board on full consideration found last year that the 60 cent rate of June, 1920, would produce fair living wage under then existing conditions.
 "In other words, rate of 45H
 
 a wage having practically the same agreed on in 1920. And at the cur rent cost of living the 5 cent rate herein fixed has about I3 per cent. more purchasing power than the Go cent rate in June, 1920.
 Below Average Rate.
 Tt is still true that the weighted average of the going rate of wages in New England trolley companies is slightly higher than the present rate of s cents paid by the Connecticut Company; and that fact is entitled to some weight. In practice, however, the Connecticut Company rate has in the past been somewhat lower than the weighted average for New Eng land, as is shown by the fact that the drD1tTdtO1 TOT IIlC HIGH GU last year in an award which was O. cents an hour below that average. The 5 cent rate herein fixed is 5.6 cents be- low the weighted average of July I, 1922.
 AS this board said last year wage rates cannot satisfactorily be fixed by any purely mathematical computation. The best we can do is to be guided by recognized principles in attempting to adjust wages to existing conditions,
 The maximum rate payable to conductors and motormen of two man cars for the year beginning June I, 1922, is fixed at 5 cents, the in termediate rate at 48 cents, and the minimum rate of 45 cents. The differ ential to be paid to the men operating one-man cars is fixed at seven cents an hour.
 "The wage rates of all other en- ployes affected by this arbitration are reduced 5H per cent. in calcualting reduced 51a per cent. in calculating the hourly rate.
 "Dated at New Haven, this I2th day of June, 1922.
 "JOHN K. BEACH,
 "JOSEPH F. BERRY,"