Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-07
RAILROAD STRIKE
BY JULY.1 LOOMS
100000 Ballots Being Sent
Out to Test Sentiment OF
Brotherhoods
WAGES CUT $4,000, 900
By the Associated Press

Chicago, June strike ballots, re.
turnable June 20. went Out today to
railway employees affected oy wage re-
ductions ordered by the United States
Railroad Labor Board. The vote will
be taken BY the individual unions whose
/ 200 900 members are affected In orders
either issued or pending.
Paralysis Of the Nations railroads
July loomed as possibility as a re.
suit Of the reductions which have al.
ready slashcd $40. 900. 100 from the
wages Of the workers. The wage cut Is
effective May I.
Meanwhile the board is preparing to
hear disputes this month between shop
crafts employees and some OF the rail.
roads over alleged Unauthorized wage
reductions and piecework.
B. NJ. Jewell, head Of the Railway
Employees Department of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor, who Is lead
Ing the fight against the boards Or
ders, was Informed that the first Of
the hearings will be held tomorrow.
Twenty -one railroaders are cited for
alleged unauthorized wage reductions
for the hearings. which are expected to
continue several weeks.
1t was indicated today that no wage
decision affecting telegraphers, the next
class of railway labor to be taken up
by the board. will come from the board
for some time.
The split in the Labor Board mp.
parently was widened by the lates,
wage reduction, the $50. 600 900 slasl,
in the wages Of shop crafts employees.
The minority report by the three labor
representatives on the board. severely
condemning the majority which ordered
the reductions. was still a topic Of con-
siderable discussion today, and pro.
vided ammunition for union men who
attacked the order.
Cincinnati. June 7.-By A. P.)-
Labor leaders here expressed the Opin.
ion that it would take at least thirty
days 10 spread and canvass the strike
vote authorized yesterday by eleven
railroad brotherhoods and Organiza =
| tions.
The meeting of union heads at which
it was decided to authorize the strike
vote was presided over by B. NJ. Jew.
ell. president of the railroad depart
ment, American Federation Of Labor.
Others present were w. II. johnson,
machinists; j. A. Franklin, boiler.
Makers; J. J. Hynes, sheet metal work
ers; Edward Tegmeyer. blacksn.iths
Edward Evans, electrical workers
Martin F. Ryan. carmen; +. H. Fitz.
nance Of way Z. J. Manion. telegraph
ers; Timothy Healey. stationary fire.
men, and ID. w. Helt, signalmen.
In formal statement 1t was made
plain that no agreement was reached
| that concerted action would be taken
This was impossible, it was explained
because the several executives had no
been advised BY their membership
whether or not they would be author
lied to call strike.
Mr.. Jewell declared the wages of tn
seven larger groups of rail workers
under the new Railroad Labor Boar,
orders. ''do not permit Of living wage
and are wholly at variance with tn
tnry Of Labor Davis and Presiden
Harding.
THE board was offered evidence a.
to the amount necessary to secure tn
necessities of life for railroad families. ;
He Sdlu AhC IolVo ia thIo uVClSlOl
are so far below those necessary tina
this evidence must have been ignored
Mr.. jewell charged that tables pub
lished in the decision comparing tn
purchasing power of railway wage
today with those of the pre-war perio,
misrepresented the facts. Based on pre-
vious wage reports Of the board, Mr.
Jewell estimated that in the case Of fiv
crafts new wages which become effec
tive July 1 will purchase less than thos
of 1915 by more than 10 per cent an
lin the case of three crafts will mea
a decrease of more than 10 per cent /
the standard Of living.
{ Mr.. Jewell declared the transporta
ton act has given the railroads "
guarantee of better earnings than wer
ever before enjoyed and takes from tn
, employees standards which they believe
. they had won for all time"