The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-31
RAIL BOARD
Is SFLAYEQ .
BY WHARTON
Says Majority Living
Wage Report Con
tains fUntruths'.

Chicago, Oct. 31.-Majority mem
bers of the United States railroad
labor board were condemned for
their living wage" opinion in a
statement made public today by A.
g. Wharton, one of the three men,
bers of the boards labor group,
whose dissenting opinion on the
wage decision for maintenance OF
way workers brought forth the
living wage" rejoinder of the ma
jority members on Sunday.
MIR. Wharton declared the major
ity opinion of the railroad and pub
lie groups was "fallacious" and
contained "untruths."
Il was not permitted to see the
majority statement before writing
my dissenting opinion" he said
Now that l have read it l find that
it is fallacious and contains un-
truths. In some places it presents
alleged arguments which on their
face are impossible.
Roads Make S3O,OOO.OOO. q,
1.-The majority statement speaks
of a $40, 0,000, 900 increase it has Civ.
en- the maintenance Of way men
On the same method Of figuring il
cut their pay $50, 0,0O0, 900 in the July
l decision, so the railroads are still
$50. 100000 to the good.
1T speaks of the cost of living
but it does not explain how a Ia
borer can support himself and fam
lily ON $51 a month.
ut does not explaiK that the imi
tation pay increase it granted
means only is cents Q day for eact
man.
1T says nothing of the poor mer
who live in shacks, box cars an(
boxes set up on four posts.
Il openly urged the majority t.
have an unbiased committee sen
into the sections where these labor
ers live to find out the truth abou
their living.
Only Asks Decent Pay.
"The majority tries to make th'
public believe that / would give tn,
laborers pay on which they coult
buy an automobile this year ant
an airplane next year.
II asked only that a man be givel
pay that brings decency with it; tina
makes it possible for Americans t.
live right, live in respectability il
their own environment and accord
, ing to their own lights, not in tn
environment of the wealthy.
"The majority says the averag'
wage for these men on througl
roads is 25 cents an hour and 8
cents on other lines. Then it say
that the 25-cent men get more pa,
than the 37-cent men when consid
cred in relation to living condition
in their respective territories
The 25-cent men are mostly ne
groes and Mexicans in the south
SO the majority admits that it give
these Mexicans more pay than
gives native-born Americans. Hoy
in the eyes of God or man can tn
majority justify that?
Doesn't Seek "Opulence.'
The majority does not distin
guish between pauperism and opu
lence. 1t pretends that what labo
terms a living wage means opu
lence. Labor doesn't ask opulence
/; 1t asks only American decency.
"The majority charged that tn
minority ina dissenting opinio,
last spring, had advised the EN-
ployes to strike against the decision
Of the board and had issued 'incen
diary argumets to the employees
When we wished to make GU
position clear publicly we were re
/ fused the right of official publica
, tion.
'The majority apparently wishe
to keep pushing wages foreve
downward, with no thought of tn
consequences.
ut is only because Of the decid
ed stand taken by labor that an
kind Of halt at all has been called.