Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-30

Chicago, Oct. 29.-(By The Associa-
ted Press. (-Attacking the theory of
the living wage" as a basis for deter
, mining the wages of railroad workers,
the public and railroad groups of the
United States railroad labor board, in
an opinion made public Sunday night,
declared that such a course, 'if carried
to its legitimate conclusion, would
wreck every railroad in the United
States and if extended to other indus
tries. would carry them into commu-
nistic ruin"
The opinion. in the form of a re-
Joinder to dissenting opinion filed
by A. o. Wharton, labor member, in
the recent decision increasing the pay
of maintenance of way employees two
cents an hour, declared that if en-
pioyes were granted IA ~ to IS cents
minimum wage for common labor with
corresponding differentials for other
classes, an increase of 1857 per cent
in the nations railroad wage bill would
be necessary, this. the opinion said,
would add So, ,112 $50 ,3S7 to the annual
payroll. bringing it to S5,5S9. .445, ,993..
which would mean, it added. an annual
deficit to the carriers of S., ,241 $3.50, :
SIS.
Would Force Deficit
Even if the 4S cent minimum wage
requested by maintenance of way work
.ers were granted and corresponding
differentials were made for other
classes of employees. the opinion said,
an increase of 50.45 per cent in wages
would be necessary, adding S1,249,-
BOO, ,994 to the annual wage will of the
roads, bringing it us to $3,125. .Ssfs54o
thus forcing the carriers to face an
annual deficit of S37S,07S, 12J.
The phrase, living wage was
termed in the opinion as "a bit of mel
lifluous phraseology, well calculated
to deceive the unthinking"
"If the contentious were that the
board should establish living wage
the majority would readily accede to
the propositions" the opinion said, "and
as matter of fact. the board in this
instance, as in all others. has granted
a living wage But the abstract. elus-
i've thing called the living wage con-
fessedly based upon q makeshift and
q guess, cannot receive the sanction
of this board. because it would be
utterly impractical and would not be
'iust and reasonable as the law de-
mands."
Wharton Dissents
Mr.. Whartons dissenting opinion and
the supporting opinion in reply are
attached to the formal decision in
creasing the pay of maintenance en-
ployes two cents an hour, and estab-
lishing minimums ranging from % to
81 cents.
The United brotherhood of Mantle
nance of Way employees and railway
shop laborers, held a strike order at
fecting 100000 men in allegiance last
July after the board had reduced
wtges, pending request for an in
crease, based on the contention that
the costs of living had advanced and
wages in other industries had been
raised.
When the case came before the
board, the maintenance of way Off
cials asked the board to subscribe
to the principle of the Giving wage" j,
based on a budget of what was re
quired for an average family of five
persons to live in health and reasona-
BILE comfort. A majority of the board
refused to subscribe to this principle,
asserting that since the transportation
act called for a Just and reasonable
wage" that just and reasonable
wage was in effect a living wage.
The maintenance of way oreanlZa-
tion asked the board to establish a
minimum rates Of pay of 4S cents
an hour to repIaceratcs then in eff
feet ranking from % to 35 cents.