Evening journal., 1922-04-15


mission the question as to whether
the railroads secured their 1921
maintenance in 1920 as charged"
When the Railroad Labor Board in
Chicago was listening 20 arguments
IN the wage proceedings of 1921.
B NJ. Jewell, head OF the railroad
section OF the American Federation
of Labor, declared, Coal mining
and the steel industries are the only
basic industries that may be COM
pared to the railroad industry, and
# is well known that there have
been no wage cuts for miners or for
steel workers" The quotation is
from the official minutes.
In the present wage hearing in
Chicago, men representing the fed
Grated shop crafts have denied that
the Railroad Labor Board should
include industries which are sub
servient to railroad domination"
f. J Warne. on behalf of the fed
Grated shop crafts includes in this
classification the coal and steel in
dustries.
Speaking in rebuttal John G..
Walber. representing the eastern
roads. drew attention sharply to the
change OF attitude taken by the rep
resentatives Of labor. Incidentally
the board doubtless will recall"
said Mr.. Walber, 'the embarrass-
ment resulting from the announce
ment a few days afterward that the
steel corporation had made a cut
OF 20 per cent. in wages while the
railroed hearings were pending. and
still further reductions have been
made since that time" Mr. Wal
| Der declared also that the record
would show that the employees rep
resentatives included in their argu-
ments all other industries. particu-
larly those paying so-called union
scales. and that there was no dispo-
sitlon on the employees part in 1921
TO discriminate as between indus
tries when the railroad men were
requesting increases in rates of pay.
Mr.. Walber quoted from the Trans
portation Act which required rail-
roads in making their wage scales
for submission to conferences, shall
consider the scale Of wages paid
for similar kinds OF work in other
industries"
Replying TO the contention OF the
labor representatives that there was
not necessarily any relation what
ever between rates OF transportation
and the wages of employees, Mr.
Walber said that Mr.. Warne appar-
emily advocated the same policy of
absolute disassociation between in
come and outgo that was advocated
by Mr.. Jewell THE answer we
made to Mr.. JEWELS contention" :"
said Mr. Walber. we now repeat to
Mr.. Warne. namely that any indus
try which attempts to continue its
life with disbursement accounts al
together out OF line with its income
account Will surely and inevitably
end In bankruptcy. 1t ought 10 be
enough TO point out that the funda-
mental principle prescribed for the
fixing OF rates is definitely set out
In the transportation Act. The
board Is required to deal with con-
ditions as they exist in 1922, and in
no other year. II should be re-
called that the Interstate Commerce
Commission withheld its decision in
the rate advance case of 1920 until
It knew of the decision of the labor
board in connection with requests
then pending which were decided by
the labor board in Decision No. 2
July 20, 1920"
Mr.. Walber quoted from the Tran
| sportauon Act in support Of his con-
| tention that wages and transporta-
tlon rates are inseparable. On this
point the law declares the labor
board may within ten days after its
decision with respect TO wages of
employees or salaries OF subordln-
ate officers, suspend the operation of
such decision II the board believes
the decision involves such an In
crease in wages or salary as will be
| likely to necessitate a substantial
readjustment OF the rates Of any
carrier.
I'VE have complete justification
| for this position" said Mr Walber,
in the language used by the Labor
Board In Decision No. in which II
declared that other relevant cir
cumstances' included among other
things the burden on the entire
people OF railroad transportation
charges Unless the board is pre-
pared to reverse the position which
It then took, we submit that II is
bound to take cognizance Of the
widespread demands for reduction
in transportation charges, proof Of
which Is contained in the extended
proceedings which have been con-
Quoted before the Interstate Com
merce Commission recently. at which
representatives OF all industries,
state commissions and other public
bodies have united in a general de-
mand for readjustment."