The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-06-09
100000 RAIL MEN
TAKE STRIKE VOTE.
New Reduction Brings Crisis in
Transportation Affairs.
BALLOTS ARE SENT OUT
Cuts in Wages Effective July I Now
Total $4,000, O00-Decision of
Men on WaIkout Is Re
turnable June 80.
BALLOTS ARE SENT OUT

CnlcagO, June - SCr1Ke DallOIS
were sent out by the railway EN-
ployees' department of the American
Federation of Labor, after announce
ment was made of $59,000,O00 slash
in wages, ordered by the United States
railway labor board.
The strike ballots are returnable
June 80, the day before wage cuts,
now totaling S110,OO0,OOO, become eff
fective.
Should the unions vote for strike
walkout may result July l.
B. M. Jewell, head of the depart
ment, In making public the fact that
strike vote has been ordered, issued
statement attacking the board and its
decisions. He said:
Final decision as to the accept
ance or rejection of the decision rests
with the membership of the organiza-
tons which compose the department.
Decision Called Injustice.
"A strike vote is now being sent
out, returnable June 3d.
BY no stretch of the facts can this
decision be justified. 1t is obvious
that the decision was not reached
through any consideration of the mer-
its as contained in the evidence sub
mitted.
II am astounded that a body of the
boards prestige and dignity should
be willing to send. out such a hastily
dressed up and obviously unfair apol-
ogy for the rates of pay awarded.
"The board was offered evidence
as to the amount necessary to obtain
the necessities of life for families In
railroad communities. The rates
which result from this decision are so
far below those necessary that this 4
evidence must have been ignored.
THE employees cannot help MOTTO
ing the contrast between their losses
and the increasing profits of the rail-
roads. What effect will such con-
trast have upon our membership?
The Two Effects.
AT this early date can forecast
but two of the effects of this decision
1.-THE first will be an immediate con-
firmation of the belief among our
membership and among railroad en-
.plOyees in general that the railroad
labor board is not an impartial court,
created to dispense justice, but is a
body created to help the railroads
carry out their labor policy.
eve have never favored the insti-
tuition of such a board The correct
ness of our attitude at the time when
the law was being framed is being
confirmed. We see that the law gives
to the owners a guarantee for better
earnings than were ever before en-
joyed, and takes from the employees
standards which they believed they
had won for all time.
'The danger lies not so much in
the attitude toward the labor board;
it lies in the fact that the board is
one branch of our government. The
feeling which will grow with such
decisions will go far to undermine
the confidence of our membership in
our national institutions.
.sThey cannot feel that such a gov
eminent is their government. To
them it will appear an employers
government
1.-THE second effect will be lowered
morale and decreased efficiency
among the workers.
Railroad employees cannot view
these decisions separately. The rates
of pay form structure in which all
are interested. The highest paid man
must be ready to fight for the lowest
paid man."
Labor Members Protest.
Added impetus was given to the
strike agitation begun by the railway
maintenance of way employees when
the United States railway labor board
slashed approximately $59,000,000 a
year from the Federated Shop Crafts
payroll, affecting 100000 workers. The
reductions ranged from five to nine
cents an hour, effective July 1.
The reduction was ordered over the
heated protests of labor members of
the board, who asserted that the de-
cisiOn was made with no considera-
ton of human needs and failed to
carry out the function of the board
to set a s'just and reasonable wage
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