The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-29

The decision is expected to rs-
 duce present pay rolls of the
 railroads about S4s y000, 900 per
 year and to reduce the pay of ths
 majority of the maintenance of
 way men cents per hour. but i
 important classes of the employees
 were given smaller cut. Under
 the majority head were included
 trncI< Inborers and other classes
 usnnlly designated as common
 Iaborers.v
 The decision vvas signed by the
 three railroad members of the i
 board nnd three members repre- ',
 senting the labor group.
 The dissenting opinion cone
 tended that the wage scale pro-
 vided In the decision WAS insuf-
 ficient to sustain life on the basis
 of American standards.
 The boards decision followed the hearings held In request of the raii- roads for wage reductions and the counter requests of several classes Of employees for increases in pay. These hearings began in Chicago March and ended April 29. All except three or four of the larger railway systems ef the country were interested In hear- inRs which included all classes of en- ployes except those in train, yard and engine service who were then con ducting negotiations with the rail- roads which had not terminated when the hearings began.
 In announcing a separate decision for maintenance of way employees In advance of its decision as to the other classes the board complied with a request made by the United Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees and Railroad Shop Labor CTS which asked that it's casa bs given precedence and decided as speedily as possible. The classes not embraced in the hearings number from 30 to 35 per cent of the total of railway employees.
 Previous Adjustments
 Tn the decision the board called at- tention to the fact that the present adjustment was. based on previous wage adjustments. the first of which on July 20. 1920. Increased the wages of all classes Of employees approxi- matelv $500 .ooo. 900 e year. and the second, the decision of July 1. 1921, which slashed about s4o0.00o,ooo from | the wages of some 1000 900 employees In all parts of the country. These decisions, 1t was pointed out. were based upon horizontal increases or de- creases of the scales prevailing prior to federal control of the roads. all of which were different for different di- visions of the same road. Thu-. 1t was said. the minimum rates author lzed in the present decision will ap- ply on a very few divisions of few roads in small groups of states, prin- rfnalixy fha gnlIfhwaaf
 All the former differentiais were continued In the present decision. 1t being stated that the wages of this class have not been standardized and made uniform throughout the country and will rot be made so under the decision The wages of track labor CTS at present rates range from 2s 10 40 cents an hour. Under the de- cis'or they will range from 23 to 5s cents an hour. The decision asserted that under the new scaie common labor on the roads will still be re- eeiving rate higher than that paid similar labor in most other industries.
 On this point the decision said:
 Other I.aborers
 "The board is of the opinion that after the reductions made under this decision, common labor on the roads will still be receiving. as rule. . warn in excess of that paid to sir,i- lar iaborers In other industries. and that the same will be true of all other classes of labor covered by this de- eis'on. The board Is of the opinion. however,. that the hazards and hard ships of the employment, the training and skill required. the degree of re- sponsibility to the public and other elements mentioned in the statute (transportation act of 1s2o) combine to justify the payment of a better wage to these employees than Is paid 10 similar labor in outside employ mert.
 "on very considerable number of roads the foreman and section men are furpished by tn carrier, living quarters ant fuel. Moreover. the board Is not In sympathy with the idea that govern ental tribunal, empowered to fix Just and reason- able wage for men engaged In serv- ing the public In the transportation industry should be controlled by the one consiS sration of the low wages that may be paid to other labor in reriod of ten. orary de- pression and unemployment. It k but just to say that railroad i,n-
 tCoutiuued on pase tvol