The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1922-08-10
RAILROAD WORKERS
TAKE ISSUE WITH
JUDGES REMARKS
CONTINUED from Page u

SouSC VIC uChkahuSu a square zeal.
Have the passenger rates been re-
duced 81 per cent?
Have the freight rates been reduc-
ed 81 per cent?
Has the high salaries of railroad
officials been reduced "a per cent?
Has the price of rent been reduced
"a per cent
Have the taxes been reduced "a
per cent?.
Has the street car fare been re-
duced 81 per cent?
Has -four been reduced "a per
cent?
Has your gas been reduced 81 per
cent?
Have you ever read decision that
the salary of the Labor Board has
been reduced to "a per cent? They
only receive 100000 each year,
$4,000 per day, or $500 per hour
and the railroad employees helps pay
this board that cuts the wages of one
class ON employees to % cents per
hour.
We ask in all fairness would you
Mr.. Citizen, work when you didn't
receive living wage? And you were
the victim of board that cut your
salary "a per cent in twelve months
and then continued to cut your salary
and let the other fellow bask in the
sunshine of good wages and prosper
ity. All that we want is a square
deal and there is not a railroad work
er in all our United States that has
not stood his part of our present de-
preston, without complaint. They
have stood reduction after reduction,
thinking surely there would be a cor
responding cut in the wages of other
classes of workmen, a reduction in
freight rates and other items men
toned above. And we feel that if the
railroads are not forced to respect
the ruling of the Labor Board that
we should not be classed as outlaws
for trying to force square deal in
our case. Can you blame the shop
crafts for refusing to accept decis-
ions that are so unfair and unjust?
1t is true that they have accepted
decision after decision that was I'M
just. Have the railroads done this?
No. Eighty two railroads accepted
only decisions that suited them and
you have never read of these rail-
roads as outlaws. We respectfully
refer the public to the case of the A.
b. & A. railroad and SAX how MANY
decisions of the Labor Board were
accepted by the officials of that road
before it went into the hands of a
receiver. We have not tried to sit
as jurors on our own case and the
only thing that we wanted was a fair
and impartial trial of our case that
is given to every American whether
he be rich or poor, and when we did
mt receive that we did the only thing
that we, could do-Walk out. God
knows that it is trying on red blooded
Americans to be insulted and wrong
fully accused as we have been but
we still respect the majesty of the
law and we are doing our part to-
wards protecting the lives and prop
erty of our fellowmen and are doing
our part as good citizens under the
most trying circumstances and unjust
suspicious. For every time a crime
is committee some one hurls the
charge at us, and not once has the
proof been produced that we have
done the things that we we're accused
IGluEi
to our work when we receive the
square deal that we are entitled to,
and this labor board sees fit to give
us living wage, Just a few days
ago when this strike was nearly set
tied through the efforts of the Presi-
dent, was it the shopmen that made
1t impossible, or the railroads still
trying to not force us back to work
and then take our seniority away
from us and give it to those who were
not entitled to it. Mr.. Citizen, is
that fair?
In conclusion, we went on a strike
because the rate of pay of the labor
board was not based on the human
needs of the hundreds of thousands
of families involved and we have
done everything possible and in hui
man power to avert it. They were
absolutely insufficient to provide
these families with absolute essen
tials.
We are not outlaws and are Just
as good citizens as Judge Blair, or
anyone else, and we have done Just
as much in our limited way to help
our town and community as our
ACAA hOA 0uOBS dilu we JTuSI IIlaL some
day that he will realize the mistake
of the Labor Board is that it has been
persuaded to reduce labor cost, on a
theory that the cost of living would
then fall to the wage level; instead
of performing its duty to help main.
tain wages on the level of the actua,
cost of living. The Board has beer
made the instrument of organized
money power, REPRESENTED by the
twenty-five inter-locking bank anC
railroad directors, the General staff
of the American Junkers-who have
been campaigning since the war t.
put labor in its place, is still plain
er language, to establish a system
of industrial feudlism which was rap
idly developing in the United State!
before the war. Only a small grouI
of less than $4,000, out of one humid
red million people will profit by the
reduction of wages and the reduc
ton of labor's purchasing power
The wholesale and retail merchant
N the small manufacturer and the bust