The Ward County independent., 1922-04-06

HI
OPERA HOUSE BL
units per man hour than had ever be-
fore been obtained.
Testifying before the Senate Com
mittee on International Commerce,
January "a, 1922, Mr.. Hines said that
the traffic units of service per man
hour had increased from 90 per cent
in 1915 to 96 per cent in 1917 and
1918 and to 100 per cent in 1919,
greater number of traffic units per
man hour than had ever been OBJ
tained before" T.
Evidence corroborating Mr.. Hines
tribute to the effiency of workers was
given by Mr.. McAdoo, former direc-
tor of railroads, in testimony before
the Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce, February l, 1922. Mr..
McAdoo said:
Employees Patriotic and Loyal
GAS step in the direction of using
more efficiency available (railroad)
facilities and forces, the Railroad Ad-
ministration called on the representa-
tives of the organized railroad work.
ers to agree to certain notifications
in their contracts with the railroads
relative to hours of labor and to agree
also to notifications of the rules gov
! erning the promotion Of mechanics to
apprentices and helpers. ....,.
.Under these notifications the
railroad employees patriOtically gave
up privileges and concessions which
their organizations had obtained
through many years of negotiation
and controversy, in which they agreed
to an extension of the hours of SER
vice to 20 per week, and - the pro.
motion of all competent helpers and
apprentices to mechanics wherever
a shortage of mechanics existed.
"The concessions granted to the
government by the labor organiza-
tions at this time could not have been
obtained by the railroad management
under any conditions.
"The employees have previously
refused to make similar concessions to
the railroad corporations because of
their belief that once they gave up
these privileges they would never be
restored under private control"
The savings resulting to the rail-
roads from these concessions by en-
plOyecs approximated $50,000,0OO q
year, Mr.. McAdoo says.
Mr.. McAdoo presented to the Sc
nate Committee official reports of dis
tinguished railroad officials attesting
the patriotism and effiency of labor.
Railroad Officials Pay Tributes
Regional Director Ashton, who
prior to federal control was presi-
ern Railroad and is now president of
the American Railway Association, in
. his report for 1918, testifies ito the
loyal and effective support given at
his his 1918 report Mr.. Ashton expressed
"most sincere appreciation for the
splendid, loyal and efficient support
i given at all times by the officers and
Northwestern region" -
] A. H. Smith is one Of the leading
railroad executives of the country
| Before Federal Control he was presi
dent of the New York Central. He
| was made Regional Director Of the
Eastern District by Mr.. McAdoo ant
continued in that capacity for man,
months. At the conclusion Of hi:
tpublic service he returned to the New
York Central as its head, and since ha:
been regarded as an authorized
spokesman for the Association o.
Railway Executives. - ~. ~.
In his report of operations for 1915
Mr.. Smith said:
Men had their hands, feet ana
faces frozen digging out train
stalled on the line or eadeavOring Il
get trains over the road; office, shOl
and other forces turned out volun
tarily to help shovel snow and ic
{ from yards and switches, and officer
and employees remained on duty TO
long periods under the most tryinl
conditions without question, reflect
ing 4 spirit of self sacrifice in tn
common cause and determination t
contribute as fully as possible il
bringing the war to a successful con
clusion."
Every regional director, all of whom
were and are now among the fore
most railroad executives, paid simila
| tribute to the loyalty to the efficienc!
of the workers during the most trying
years Of the nations history.
Largest Return per Man Hour il
History
The facts are that during the periot
fof federal control the workers receivet
11"less pay than any other class of in
dustrial workers doing similar work
Testimony Of Mr.. McAdoo, befor,
Interstate Commerce Commission)
and in return gave "the largest re
turn per man per hour in the histor!
Of the railroads, so far as comparabl,
records are available" (report of Mr.
Hines to the President, March, 192O)
Instead Of Stacking" as has beer
charged by certain railroad executives
and these spokesmen, railroad workers
gave up privileges and concession
long enjoyed, and throughout the en-
tire period Of the war stood by thei1
jobs and worked Loyalty and efficient
ly.' (McAdoo's testimony
The rocnrd nf tho yu0rkors Mr. Nc