, 1922-07-13

in the award, being insufficient to
provide for a family Of five, tend to
substantiate the position taken by
management to the effect that wages
not be established with refer
ence TO the needs of a family Of this
size. The most careful and COM
~prehensive. investigation on this
subject shows that wages which do
not provide for a family OF that size
mean that 73 per cent OF all children
in families receiving this wage will
be inadequately provided for during
At least five critical years of their
lives. Permanent traces Of this NAL
nutrition will be left on the physique
of the next generation.
"(4) The failure of the majority
to consider the real merits of the
case has created a wage structure
which has NJ relation to any exist
ing standards. Based on evidence in
possession of the Labor Board, the
minimum for the industry should
have been nothing less than SO cents
per hour. without, for the moment,
questioning the Justice of the differ
entails resulting from the majority
decision, this would place the me-
: chanic's rate at least as high as 81
cents per hour.
"t5) The ordering of a large de-
crease in the case of freight carmen
is unjust and wholly inconsistent
! with former decisions of The Labor
Board. In ordering such a change.
the majority disregard the fact that
any difference in skill which may OK
list has been already provided for in
the scent d~ifferential which dates
from the days of the United States
Railroad Administration. They also
disregard the fact that under the
Classification rules OF the Board
freight carmen r mechanics and as
such are entitled to the minimum
rate for mechanics.
"(6) The rates of pay established
in this decision will mean to the en-
ployees affected lower purchasing
power and lower standards as COM
pared with pre-war years. From
December. 1917, to the present de-
~cislon, inclusive, the maintenance of
equipment forces have suffered a
constant deficit, their age at all
times failing to keep pace with living
costs. The figures cited by the ma
jority to the contrary effect are a
MISREPRESENTATION Of the true facts
as to the relative earnings involved.
"(7) The savings to the railroads.
as a result of the decisions of the
Labor Board and of the lay-off OF
men, far exceed anything justified by
the savings to the public in reduced
rates. The employees covered by
this decision alone have had their
payroll cut to the extent Of $371.-
817,996 per year, as hereinafter set
out. based on number of employees
in service as Of December, 1917.
while total payroll cuts due to de-
cisions alone total more than half a
billion dollars. During the last six
months of 1921 the total payroll
slash, including the lay-otfs. was
running at tho annual rate Of 81.
900 900, 900. This diminished pur-
chasing power Of the employees as q
group appears in strong contrast with
the increasing prosperity Of the rail-
roads noted by the Interstate Com
merce Commission in its recent
opinion and by the financial press.
"(S) The increasing %antithesis be-
tween profits and just wages will re-
suit in lower morale among the rail-
road employees; thus the present
wage reductions will not result In
the real needs Of efficient n eco
nomical management.
"(9) The majority have failed to
carry out the function for which the
Labor Board was created. Such de-
cisions, containing no explanation OF
the process by which the majority ar
rive at the rates established, give the
public an impression that these rates
are not founded upon a careful con
sideration of the facts. A strong