The Washington times., 1922-07-27


Board had ordered that this railroad
shop should be run by the railroad
itself and should not be contracted
out" to any outside contracting com
pany. Nevertheless. on a, bright,
economical morning the shopmen
working in that should would see a
new notice up on the wall, and on
reading II they would discover the
following interesting changes in
their lives:
Hereafter this shop is transferred
from the management OF the Blank
Railroad Company to the manage
ment OF the Blank Contracting
Company, and the hourly rate for
mechanics will cease to be n cents
and will become 54."
The shop was the same. The sup
erintendent was the same. An the
foremen were the same. Everything
was the same. except the name ot
the management and the hourly
wage rate of the mechanics.
This made the mechanics very
restive In their minds and when
some fifteen railroads had done II
they took a strike vote on il. Now
some thirteen OF these fifteen rail.
roads have given in OF this point and
have undertaken to do their shop
work in their own names and at the
official ''lowful' Railroad Labor
Board Eage rate. But in the mean.
| time a large number OF mechanics
lost a large amount OF money through
earning less than the lawful" rate
| for long time. This money they
now propose to get back by suing
the railroads. and the suits are just
about ready.
And again. for instance, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company in
the spring Of ibis year discharged
several thousand s1opmen for being
I forty'fve years old. This age was
regarded by the railroad as being
excessive. But there was no rule Of
the Railread Labor Board holding
lortyilVe Years to be the gateway
to the trash h-heap. The aged shop.
men thus discharged are therefore
ready 10 sue for wages lost.
A still deeper question will then
arise. Suppose that the courts hold
that the railroads ought to have
gone along with the Railroad Labor
Board. Suppose that the railroads
have TO pay the sRgrieved shop
men $50 200, 900 or sJsoe other large
sum. This will be par OF he ex
pense which they have incurred
trying to fight the unions. But II
will be only a small part. The ex
pense Of breaking this strike will
be much more. 1t will be immense
ly more. The recruiting of strike
breakers. the teaching OF them tc
be railroad mechanics, the organic
ing Of them into a permanent work
ing force. Is a gigantic task and
II will cost gigantic sum oi
money. The question will he:
| With the Interstate CommercC
Commission raise our railroad rate
in order to give the railroads tn,
Income with which to pay thii
gigantic sum of money, or will
II oblige the railroads to NEE
this colossal expense out Of tn,
profits of the stockholders.
The fact is that next time tn,
railroads come before the Inter
staate Commerce Commission the!
are likely to face, a new proposition
on the subject of rates and prot
It's. The commission has beel
meditating on its power to com
pei the railroads to be "ecoaOm
ical' and to be efficient" Tn
law gives II that power. 1t is ;
power which has not been mucl
exercised. But now II Is gettinI
studied and prepared for use. o.
some bright economical and eff
cient morning in the near futur
the Interstatae Commerce Commi:
sion may be saying to the railroads
"It Is true that you spent lot o
nooney bnstinR the unions in YOU