The New York herald., 1922-08-30
DEMAND CONGRESS
BACK LIVING WAGE
Maintenance Men Ask Har-
ding and Cummins to Have
Principle Upheld.
LABOR BOARD REFUSES
Stands by Language of Law
i'm Seeking Just and
Reasonable Pay.
STRIKE THREATENING
Rebuff From Washington May
Mean Issuance of Order
for Walk0ut.
STRIKE THREATENING

Special Dispatch to THE New Yoax HnRALD.
CHICAGO, Aug. 2s.--Following re-
fusal of the United States Railroad
Labor Board TO conduct hearings on the
petition OF 400. 600 maintenance of way
men on the 'Iiving wage" basis 4. r.
Cradle. president of the union to-day
telegraphed to President Harding and
Senator Cummins a request that Con-
gress be presented with an amendment
TO the transportation act compelling the
board 20 enunciate the principle OF the
living wage"
Should another rebuff be met In an
swer to this request Cradle Is armed
with a strike vote taken by his organ
ization but held In allegiance since
July J.
Whether ne swings this weapon from
above the heads Of the board to cut Off
further hearings by walking out from
the board room to call walkout OF
the members of the union is believed
to depend on the replies to his Wash
ington telegram.
To-day's hearing before the board re-
ceased until tomorrow at CRADLES re-
quest. following the statement of the
boards position.
The board announced that it stood
for e. Just and reasonable wage as
fixed in the phraseology of the trans
portation act It's answer was given out
after an executive session this morning
in which a motion OF A. o. Wharton.
one of the labor members. to affirm the
right of all workers to a living wage"
was defeated by s to vote.
The decision was called for by the
appearance before the board yesterday
of Cradle and w. Jett Lauck, stattsti-
clan for the ss.u unions demanding rec
ognition of ~ "fiving wage principle
and declarfhO H,at the minimum for
maintenance Of way workers should be
set at 4s cents On hour. The minimum
now ranges from 70 to IS cents on diff
ferent classes OF labor by a previous
board decision.
The reply of the board. read by Chair
man Ben Hooper, follows:
1T Is superfluous for the board to
announce in advance the principles or
theory upon which II will fix wages in
the pending dispute. II may be assumed
by the parties in this case that the
board will give full consideration to
every circumstance set out in the statute
for its guidance. but 1t will not go be-
yond that.
1.-THE Transportation act requires the
board to establish wages that are just
and reasonable 1t Is within the prov
ince of the parties herein to make such
contentious as they may respectively see
fit as to what will constitute a jus.
and reasonable wage. II the wage
which the motion defines as the living
wage should be demonstrated to be n
just and reasonable wage the board
would adopt IL. otherwise it would not.
The board will not enlarge the
right of either party 20 present to the
board his conception OF what constitutes
a just and reasonable wage within the
meaning of the law"
Mr. Cradle. who had argued that
recent utterances OF President Harding
and Senator Cummins made certain thai
the meaning of the act was to include a
living wage" principle, was apparently
surprised and disappointed by the board s
position. He Immediately asked for a
recess until tomorrow, declaring 1t
would hasten and facilitate presentation
OF the mems case.