The New York herald., 1922-06-17
Will Take Up Issue When
Abnormal Postwar
State Is Past.
LABOR MEN FILE PROTEST
Charge Slash of 2 to 6 Cents
Hourly Is Unnecessary
and Unjustified.

CHICAGO. June 1e ASSOCIATED Press).
Pruning nearly $4,000, 900 from the
annual payroll of 325,000 railway en-
ployees by cutting clerks. signalmen
and stationary firemen from two to
six cents an hour, the United States
Railroad Labor Board to-day an
nounced another wage slash, bringing
total reductions under the boards
orders up to s135. 100000 beginning
July l.
Clerks were cut three to four cents
an hour, according to classification;
signalmen five cents and firemen two
cents.
Approximately 100000 railway en-
ployees will share the total reduction.
which has brought vigorous protest
from every union organization in
volved and is expected to result in
strike vote of ten railway labor bodies.
The voting already is under way in
seven unions.
A dissenting opinion. protesting
against any reduction. was included
in the decision. 1t was signed by
Arthur o. Wharton and Albert Phil
lips, both labor members.
WLfving wage" Recognized.
Definite recognition of a "living wage"
and Saving wage" was made for the
first time by the board In to-days de-
cision. Although abnormal post war con-
ditions were pointed out as obstructions
to fixing any scientific living or saving
wage at present. the board declared that
as soon as this condition cleared away
II would give increased consideration
TO all the intricate details incident to the
scientific adjustment" OF such wage.
Most Of those hit by the new cut will
be 100000 clerks and 100000 station
employees.
Telephone girls who, the board de-
clared. have suffered from unpropor-
toned increases and decreases receive a
minimum wage of sS5 month. fur
ther proviso says that any who receive
more than that amount at present shall
not suffer any reduction.
Signal men helpers suffer a cent
cut. Signal foremen. assistant foremen
and inspectors. however. escaped with
no reduction. The 5000 train dis
patchers also escaped cut
Stationary engineers, firemen and OIL
ers, numbering 10000 were reduced =
cents an hour.
decision covering $4,000 telegra.
phers will be issued by the board later.
Dining car employees and the culi-
nary workers on the ferries in San
Francisco Bay will continue to get their
present pay.
Marine workers wages were uh-
touched.
Figures in the decision showed thar
clerks will receive under the new scale
an average of 5s.5 cents an hour. COM
pared with 34.5 cents in December. 1917.
when the Government took over the
railroads.
The firemen and oilers have received
an increase from 21.S cents an hour. in
1917, to 49.6 cents July l.
Fair Opportunity to Profit.
THAT the carriers shall have fair
opportunity TO profit by the revival Of
business in order that they may expand
their facilities is absolutely indispens-
able 10 their efficient service to ths
American public" the decision said.
This statement must not be niscon-
strued to mean that the employees
should be called upon TO bear the cost
of railway rehabilitation. improved SER
vice and reduced rates. IL simply means
that it is only patriotic common sense
and Justice that every citizen, including
the railway employee, should cooperate
in cordial spirit, should bear and for.
bear. until the carriers are back on
their feet.
I'm this connection It should be said
that the Labor Board has never adopted
the theory that human labor is 4 COM
modify TO be bought and sold upon the
market and consequently to be reduced
to stagnation wages during periods of
depression and unemployment On the
other hand it is idle to contend that
labor can be completely freed from the
economic laws which likewise affect the
earnings OF capital"
Taking notice OF labor leaders who
declared after the last wage decisions
that the board had dsregarded the en-
ployecs' 'living wage" arguments. tho
decision said
The extreme utterance OF partisan
bias to the effect that the board does
not give full consideration TO the evil
dence submitted TO. II would be discour-
aging were IL not for knowledge OF the
fact that such uttcrances evince merely
a spasmodic relapse into the old system
OF bluff and bluster that entered so
largely into the adjustment OF railway
labor disputes before adjudication sup
planted force"
On the other hand. the decision said
the board had given careful consdera-
tion to the employees testimony on
family budgets and standards OF living.
but declared much Of Il was highly
theoretical and of but little value"
Five reasons were named to cover the
minority objections: That the bases on
which the decision was made "are not
sufficient to justify tho action taken"
that the reasons offered for the cut 20
FAR beyond the provision of the trans
portation act" that the new wages do
not Insure continuance of previous
standards OF living" that basing rail-
road wages on similar wages In outside