The Washington times., 1922-10-31

B. Cummins, chairman OF the
Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce and one Of the au-
thors Of the transportation act.
On April II, 1922. when a hear
ing was in progress before the
committee relative to whether the
transportation act contemplated
the sanction of the living wage
principle to unskilled railroad EN-.
ployes, Senator Cummins publicly
said:
MY view Of 1t Is that here are
two men, and one man may agree
to work for the other at any wage
that he would be- willing to ac-
cept, whether it is just and rea-
sonable or not. But WHEN OR
GANIZED SOCIETY COMES TO
FIXING THE WAGE. 1T Is NO
MORE RIGHT TO FIX 4 WAGE
BELOW THE POINT OF LIN-
ING-AND COMFORTABLE LIN.
ING-THAN 1T Is TO FIN 4
RETURN on CAPITAL BELOW
A REASONABLE POINT"
Forces Set Aside.
Witness-"This is our COnten-
ton exactly, Mr.. Chairman"
The Chairman-"I think YOU
are right al >ut It,"
Senator Cummins' attitude was
further elaborated in Il state
ment submitted by the repre-
sentatives OF the employees dur
ing the hearings in the present
case.
The law has set aside the
forces of supply and demand.
The board must accept some
fundamental principle as the
basis of wagc.fiXing. otherwise
1t can follow no guid" but tn"
relent ess, inhurnan. fluCtuatinG
forces Of supply and demand. 1t
cannot be denied that in private
Industries the wages Of unOr
ganized and unskilled workers
are very largely fixed by these
forces.
As industrial development prog
resses, however. supply and de
mand enters less and less int"
the wage question, until Condi-
ton OF affairs Is oftentimes
reached where employees and EN-.
ployers are organized and are Ol
about equal economic strength.
and where both parties agree to
meet together and bargain col
.ectively. referring such matters
as cannot be settled in confer
ences to an impartial tribunal Tor
final adjudication.
When this is done, AZ IL the
case in many private industries,
there can be no place for the
Invocation of the law OF supply
and demand. An arbitration
hoard selected must ignore these
factors and in its deliberations
and decisions attempt TO "stab'
lish rates Of pay which are ade.
uuate and equitable, or. in other
words. just and reasonable.
supply and Demand.
Likewise, the transportation act.
under which the Labor Board
functions. by establishing
tribunal for determining wages
to which all wage controversies
must be referred, sets aside the
law OF supply and demand. 1t
also prohibited the acceptance, as
n basis Of action by the Labor
Board, Of the rates in private In
dustries determined by the law
Of supply and demand.
The conclusion IL irresistible,
from the announcements OF
other arbitration tribunals as.
we'll as from the statements OF
Senator Cummins, the wages In
outside industries" or, in othe:
words. the supply Of and demand
for labor. cannot be used as n
guide for the Labor Board in fix
ing adequate basic rates for un-
skilled railroad employees.
The Labor Board should give
expression to it's acceptance OF
the living wage principle and
then give II practical applica'
ton. This principle has been no
where better expressed than in
the code or series Of principles
which made up the constitution.
SO to speak. of the former ma.
tional War Labor Board. 1t was
as follows:
81. The right Of all workers, in
cluding common laborers, TO q liv-
ing wage Is hereby declared.
"2. In fixing wages. minimum
rates OF pay shall be established
which will insure the subsistence
OF the worker and his family in
health and reasonable comfort
The budgexIy method Is neces-
sary and prao lacble.
The use Of family budget is es-
sential to any attempt at ascertain
ing practically what a living wage
should be. Our basic industries do
not offer rates Of pay which, under
normal working conditions, enable
an unskilled worker to earn an
amount sufficient to support him
self and his family in health and
modest comfort. His wages must
be supplemented by the earnings
Of his wife and children or by the
taking OF boarders and dodgers into
the home. otherwise the family
income IL inadequate.
The prevailing wage IN Amer