The Connecticut labor news., 1922-02-24
LABOR BOARD FALLS FOR THE PLAN
 AND ORDERS HEARINGS MARCH 6

changes in rules of other classes of employees would mean a total annual saving to the roads, through this in direct medium of cutting wages, of $500 100000 Such decisions have since been made in rules governing maintenance of way and shop labor CTS, clerks, freight handlers, and sta ton agents. New rules are yet to be announced for the signal men, sta tionary flrcmcn and oilers. The train and engine and yard employees are now negotiating with the carriers.
 None of this immense loss of $780, 100000 a year to employees and saving to the carriers has brought a dollars worth of benefit to the shipper and buyer, unless we consider the $5o, ooo,oOo reduction in freight rates which was presumed to help farmers after they had sold their crops. Now the roads demand another wage cut and promise to hand 1t over to the public. This was the sprig of poison N was being propagates. Perhaps the public will now rise to a point of per sonal privilege and inquire why the railroad workers should be made to public may also ask why the rail road banks and nonproducing stock holders do not put in' occasionally.
 But the Railroad Labor Board is granted broad powers under the Cum minS Eech law, now known as the transportation act, 1920, and which Senator La Toilette has aptly labeled "the crime of 1920" The carriers come first at the boards table, labor receives the crumbs that fall to the floor, and the public gets what is swept into the dustpan. Therefore, another wage cut is being staged, the board having worker overtime to clear the docket of "trif1es" in order to open the way for the hearing which begins March 6. And yet, pre- .sumably, the board was created for the purpose ot seeing to it that labor gets square deal
 The resolutions adopted by the board fixing date for hearing opens by naming some 50 carriers which have thus far filed petitions No doubt all of the possible 2Io class I roads, will be so recorded by the time the hearing starts. Then the various classes of labor which have filed peti- tions for wage increases are as iol- lows: Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station fEmployes; Fed erated Shop Crafts, composed of l Brotherhood Railway Carmen of America, International Alliance of l Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers, International Association of Machin- ist5, International Brotherhood of
 Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers and Help CTS, International Brotherhood of 1 Eoilermakers, Iron Ship Builders and l Helpers of America, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; United Brotherhod of Maintenance ot 1 Way Employees and Railway Shop 1 Laborcrs; International Brotherhood
 of Stationary Firemer and Oilers;
 Order of Railroad Photographers;
 Brotherhood of Railroad sigralmen of
 America.
 The resolutions then rccite that the
 board has information that a number
 cf carriers are about to file applica-
 tion for wage decreases, and that ill
 its judgment the expected disputes
 should be heard jointly. The period
 of time for presentation of arguments
 is not to be limited ,and disputants
 are requested to furnish any sugges-
 ton they have that will assist the
 board to reach T decision as carly as possible