Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-29
LIVING WAGE IS
NOT BEING PAID
RAIL MEN, SAYS
Jewell Urges Higher Pay
Rather Than a Further
Cut at Hearing Before
Railroad Labor Board.
tBy The Associated Press

Chicago, March 2S.-The bust
ness concern which cannot meet
its fixed charges is bankrupt; fall
ure to provide a healthful stand
ard of living for his family--a
working mans fixed charge
means eventual physical and moral
bankruptcy TO the nation, This
was the axiom on which B, NJ.
Jewell, president Of the shop
crafts unions, based his plea for a
living wage for the nations rail
workers today before the United
States railroad labor board.
Figures comparing railroad EN-
ployes' expenditures for food with
minimum requirements for bare
subsistence as worked out by Prof.
NJ. e. Jaffa, food specialist of the
University OF t,arrornia, showed
that railroad mechanics in 1921
were able 90 purchase but Ga per
cent of the meat. fish, mix ana
eggs necessary for maintenance OF
their families at the lowest level
of safety, Mr.. Jewell said.
Higher wages rather than a fur-
Their cut were urged on the board
by Mr.. Jewell in his fight against
the 10 per cent slash proposed by
205 roads now before the board
Wages, he asserted, were "the life
blood of the nation and reduction
of wages means reduction OF nour-
ishment to the bodies Of citizens
1.-THE railroad industry does not
TODAY nav a living wage to the me-
chanics employed in its shops
said Mr.. Jewell. 1--WE have meas
ured the average monthly earnings
of men in the railroad shops by
every instance they are found want
every stance they are found want
ing.
1.-THE purchasing power of rail-
road families will become strained
nv the analysis OF 254 itemized
monthly expense accounts. They
are distributed over the country
hut in no sense selected. The state
ments include careful records or
food and quantities bought.
THE average income or these
families amounted to $1,935.5O. of
which $4,000 came from other
than railroad wages, being usually
secured from boarders. The aver
age expenditure was $l,9S9.64, me
income from the railroad falls
short by nearly 5000 year of the
actual amount which these faml-
lies spent" 49,,
with prices prevailing during
the wear of 1921, mechanics IN
railroad shops were able to pur-
chase about GA per cent OF the
meat, fish, milk and eggs neces-
sary to maintain their actual TAM
lilies at the lowest levels of safety
Mr.. jewell said. They We're able
he continued, to purchase only ~
per cent of the necessary eerea /
foods; only 81 per cent or the nee
essary vegetables and fruits ana
only II per cent Of the necessary
butter, fats and oils, "The result
Of such a deficit in terms OF the
general physique of the country
and also in terms Of the efficient
operation of the railroads is suf-
ficiently obvious. Jf an Industry
cannot meet its first fixed charge
the payment OF healthful llveli-
hood to It's employees, it IS indeed
bankrupt.
wages are the life blood of the
nation" Mr.. Jewell continued.
"They are not money. they are
pounds Of life blood which flows
out to nourlsh the body OF the
people. A reduction in wages does
not mean a reduction in dollars
and cents, it means reduction in
pounds OF nourishment 10 the
bodies OF citizens,
Agencies given power to deter
mine wage levels is no monetary
problem. They are rationing the
chief part of the population, There
can be only one consideration. IL
is this: Can any of the goods that
wages will not buy be taken away
without injury to the body ana
soul of the nation?
Consideration on this basis viii
lead inevitably to the conclusion
that the present budget of the
wage earners cannot be pared
down. 1t will lead rather to the
conclusion that the purchasing
power of the employees of the rail-
roads must Immediately be in
creased. Advocates of wage re-
duction must determine what goods
which the employees now purchase
shall in the future be denied
them.h