The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1922-06-30
RAIL BOARD CUTS
PAY OF $4,000
New Decision Brings Total Re-
ductions to $135,000,000
Affecting 100000.
DISSENTING OPINION FILED
Ruling Recognizes "a Living Wage"-
Details, However, Cannot Be Worked
Out Until Normal Conditions Are
Restored, Says Decision.

Chicago.-A cut of $26, 100000 year
in the pay of some 100000 rail work
ers, the great bulk of them in the cleri-
cal and station forces, was announced
by the United States Railroad Labor
Board. The reductions range from two
to six cents an hour, nearly two-thirds
of the men affected being slashed three
cents.
The finding reduces the pay of 2OS,-
500 clerks and station employees three
an hour; 10000 signal men, five cents
an hour; $500 stationary firemen, engi-
neers an oilers, two cents an hour, and
1000 helpers in the signal department,
six cents an hour.
Train dispatchers and supervisory
forces are not touched.
Telephone girls, who, the board de-
clared, have suffered from dispropOr-
tionate increases and decreases, are
given a minimum wage of $85 month.
A further proviso says that any "hello
girls" who receive more than that
amount at present shall not suffer any
reduction.
Dining car employees and the Gull
nary workers on the ferries in San
Francisco Bay will continue to get
their present pay.
Marine workers wages are un-
touched.
Figures in the decision showed that
clerks will receive under the new scale
an average of 5S5 cents an hour, COM
pared with 34.5 cents in December,
1917, when the government took over
the railroads.
The firemen and oilers receive an in
crease from 21.9 cents al hour in 1917
to 49.6 cents on July IA.
The slash, which is the third in a
series of three, like the others, goes
into effect July /. All told, the aggre-
gate reductions in pay which become
operative July ] amount to $134, ,9SS, 800
year. They affect about 1,25OOOO
workers under normal conditions of
employment.
AS tabulated by the boards experts,
the cuts made by the series of wage
reduction orders are:
Clerical and station forces $24, 1856 317
Stationary engine and boil
er room ................' 551 1854
Signal department '........ 1,532,42S
Maintenance of way....... 48, 1893, 1878
Shop employees. .......... 59,669, ,347
Total ................$ .$134, ,9SS, ,919
ALI union organizations embraced in
the cuts are taking q strike ballot, re-
turnable June 25, as result of the
reductions. Union chiefs declare the
indications are that the men will vote
to place with their leaders full authOri-
ty to call strike This is the usual
course. 1t is by no means Synonymous
with an actual walk-out, as, for exam
pie, the threatened rail strike of last
year.
For the first time in this series of
wage cuts, the majority of the board
accompanied the reduction with a dis
cussion of conditions in the tranSporta-
tion world and of the general economic
factors impelling them to cut the pay
envelopes.
Definite recognition of "the living
and saving wage" is given in the dis
cussion. The board says that under
the abnormal conditions of the slump
and recovery period it has been impos-
sible to deal with the problem of just
and reasonable wages in the "undis-
turbed and uncomplicated" fashion
possible in normal times. AS soon as
business recovery drives out the "ab-
normalities" of the period the board
declares it will be possible to give 'in-
creased consideration to all the intri-
cate details incident to the scientific
adjustment of the living and saving
wage"
The split in the board still exists.
The majority decision was signed by
the public and railroad groups. A dis
senting opinion opposing any reduction
was signed by Arthur o. Wharton and
Albert Phillips, labor members. w. L.
McMenimen, the third labor member,
is absent from the city.