The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-06-09
R, R. WAGES CUT
BY LABOR BOARD
United States Railway Labor
Board Announces Decision A.
fecting 100000 Workers.
new RATES EFFECTIVE JULY ]
Will Mean a Saving of Approximately
$48,000,000 Year to the r,oads-
Further Rulings Promised
Soon.

Chicago.-Wage reductions affecting
100000 employees of railroads Of the
country were announced by the
United States Railway Labor Board
here. 1t will mean saving OF ap-
proximately S4S,0OO,00O year to the
reads, according to estimates.
The reduction applies to mainte-
nance of way employees and kindred
workmen and becomes effective July l.
The reductions range from five cents
to one cent an hour. Common track
laborers, bridge builders, shop laborers
and drawbridge tenders are reduced
five cents an hour. Track foremen are
reduced three cents an hour and me-
chanics' helpers one cent an hour.
The board made the reductions on
application of the principal roads of
the country and it's finding is based, it
was explained, after searching in
quiry, into the cost of living and wages
paid other workers of the country.
The members Of the board represent
ing labor dissented from the decision,
and held the reductions do not permit
a living wage. There is no appeal from
the boards decision.
While it was admitted the decision
will prove disappointing to the work
ers, it was believed they would accept
the cut without strike.
An important factor of the argument
presented by the roads in asking the
reduction was that they have been
unable to employ sufficient laborers to
maintain standard transport conditions
because of high wages. 1t was fnti-
mated by the roads that the reduction
would mean the employment of ap-
proximately 100000 more men, thus re-
lieving unemployment throughout the
country.
1.-The board Is of the opinion that
after the reductions made under this
decision, common labor on the rail-
reads will still be receiving as rule,
a wage in excess of that paid to similar
labor in other industries" the decision
said.
In statistical table, based on the
figures on wages and the cost of living
by the Department of Labor, the board
declared that while the cCst Of living
in March, 1921, was approximately 17.2
per cent over that of December, 1917.
the hourly rate of pay for maintenance
of way employees under the present
decision will be 69.4 per cent above the
hourly rates of December, 1917. The
purchasing power of the wages under
the decision will be 44.5 per cent over
the purchasing power Of their wages
In 1917.
Track laborers, probably the largest
group affected, approximately 10000
received from % to 40 cents an hour.
Under the new scale they will receive
from % to 80 cents an Lour. The
minimum wage will apply to only few
roads, the greater number being in the
south.
Decisions affecting other classes of
employees will be handed down '.-ithin
few weeks, it was stated by The
board.
The dissenting opinion of the labor
group of the board contends that the
wage scale provided in the decision is
insufficient to sustain life on anything
like the basis Of merican stanCards
and cites numerous statistical tables,
budgets and opinions of social workers
to sustain it's contention.
The board, in handing down the de-
cision, let it be known that its decision
was reached without taking into con-
sideraticn the action of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, which recently
ordered a 10 per cent reduction in
freight rates, effective July 1.