Evening journal., 1922-07-17

launching OF the additional work
would have given many additional
men enjoyment and would have
brought the force up to approximate
~ the number employed before re-
trenchment period was launched, the
railroad officials assert.
No Grievance logan Says.
Edward r. Logan. chairman of
the advisory board OF the Federated
Shopcrafts. today gave out the fol-
lowing summary OF an analysis ~
the wage situation made by the
Labor Bureau. Inc, economic ad-
visers 10 the shop craft unions. The
report declares the contentious In
the majority opinion OF the railroad
Labor Board and OF the National
Industrial Conference Board that
the shopmen have not Just wage
grievance are based on Serious sta
tistical errors" The summary fol-
lows:
1T Is true. as the Labor Board ma
jority states, that the purchasing
power OF shopmens wages Is higher
now than In 1917. But this Is be-
cause in 1917 the cost OF living had
gone up about IS per cent. above
1915. whereas wages had not risen
half that much-the Increases rang
Ing from CO per cent. TO 17.9 per
cent? The year 1917 Is the worst
base that could be chosen from the
point OF view OF the men. and Is by
any test an unfair starting point.
The Labor Board majority states
that hourly wage rates have risen
further since 1915 than has the cost
OF living. and upon this assertion base
claim that the purchasing power OF
shopcraft wages has increased during
this period. IL Is true that hourly
rates have risen faster than the cost
OF living; but hourly rates are an alb
solutely inaccurate measure OF pur-
chasing power. the reason Is this:
The normal working week has been
shortened 10 for,y-eight hours since
1915, so that the workers do not get
as many hours pay IN a normal
week. After all. II is the amount in
the pay envelope at the end OF the
week which buys the family bread.
Hourly wage rates do not buy any
thing.
The Conference Board, asserts
that the shopcraft WORKERS. have
gained per cent In the buying
power OF their wages since 1914.
Their method OF calculation Is as
follows: An estimate OF the week
ly Income OF shopcraft workers for
1922 is made on the basis of the
number OF hours worked during 1921
and half OF 1920. This estimate Is
compared with the income actually
received by these workers In 1914.
a comparison OF this estimate
OF the 1922 wage and the actual 1914
earnings shows an increase Il per
cent. which In turn is compared
with the percentage OF Increase in
the cost Of living as figured by the
Board itself.
There are two grave faults In this
method. In the first place II com
pares the earnings for an assumed
full working week in 1922 with the
actual week in 1914. when. on. ac-
count OF the Industrial depression.
not so many hours were worked. It
thus makes a possible Increase In
the continuity OF employment over
an abnormally slack year seem like
a bona fide increase in wage rates.
In the second place. the board
uses its own figure for the increase
In the cost OF living. But this is
considerably lower than the official
hfure OF the United States Depart
ment OF Labor. The official figure
was, in March. eos per cent. above
1914. Since then retail food prices.
which make up nearly half the bud
get. have been increasing. The re-
suits are:
Decrease in purchasing powers
since December. 1915: