The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-07
DISPUTE OVER
WAGE SCALE
AT CHICAGO

VMdllCc1ldilCC u way
Men and Officials Of
Railroads Cannot I
Agree
I Chicago, Oct. s.-A proposal for
"a two cents an hour increase for
| the track and common laborers Of
the Maintenance Of Way Union,
numbering about s00.60D, late to-
day was. temporarily refused by The
!! United States Railroad Labor board
Only seven .of, the nine members
have taken part in the discussions
!. which opened Yesterday. Ai5eTc
Phillips of the labor group, anil
Samuel Higgins of the railrstd
group. being absent. I:
The public Representa- tives. Chair
man Ben w. Hooper, #. II. Carton;
and G. ". w Haner. 1t was au-
thoriatively reported, sponsored The
rejected Increase. It pas. under
stood that their ofIerWsas based
! UPON the general change IN 1us-
trial conditions since last March
!; when the evidence upon which the
last cut of the. track and eo1un,oa
}. .laborers wages. amounting 10 aye
cents an hour. was presented. THIS
decrease became effective Jaiv l,
last.
:. Evidence offered the :.boarI III
!! the recent plea for an increase
;; made by Z. F. Cradle, president .rff
the Maintenance OF Way. Union, tias
p,rblic group was understood to
have held, was the decreases in
wages and living conditions. pre-
! dominated over advances, until
June this year. Since then. they
held, there has been a assiSgiht up
ward trend. .s.5..z..
Last Mond;iy. the maintenance
of way organization, representing
more than 100000 men, went into
convention. att Detroit. with its
president reported as i,npatientsy
waiting. decision on MS plea for
an increase to explain hissaetien OF
| July l, in holding in abeyance "A
strike vote and refusing to as
company the shop crafts in a walk
out. - - 5i:.:.s =. -
.At that time VII MesEeninien.
labor member of me: board. was
gensraily credited yit th beng TIE
Iaakdiater Wiao successfully i.y persuad
ed President Ora bic not :tb caH q
/. strike. Today+ he: was reported .as
against. the proposition offered by
the pubic group, holding that the
increase was not sufficient : a @.
J Wharton. the third lnemberSof the
labor group. also was, said to hase
stood by Mr. McMenilnen in this
attitude They were reported to
have offered q larger increase,
which was rejected s,;ss
According to informa ton from
authentic sources. the two rail-
road members present. Horace
| Baker, and J. II. Elliott. declared
themselves as opposed to any in-
crease at, this time. Although the
deadlock was said to be only tenn
porary and will send inevitably in a
decision. probably an increase. some
doubt was expressed as to whether
the labor board would again con-
sider the maintenance of way case
until the two absent members re-
turn Both are expected by the
middle OF tilis month. The board
will not hold an executive session
! tomorrow but will convene again
Wednesday to consider other mat
ters. it was said It was stated AS
proba bic that the maintenance of
way convention viii adjourn before
the board, reaches decision.
The present minimum wages for
common laborers and trackmen un-
der the recent decision of the
board. range from .; to So cents
! an hour. If the public groups
cffer would be accepted. the mex
rates would be % to 81 cents an
hour. retroactive to July |, last.
Iu his plea before the labor
. board. Mr. Cradle asked for 43
cents an hour minimum, and deini-
ton of. a living wage and refused
to define. declaring that the terms
of the transportation act we're suff-
ciently clear on that subject.
Maintenance. of way employees
are divided into six classes, the
/; largest of which is the common
and track Iaborers group. The
;uuestion of an increase vfor this
group. it was understood. vas TAX
e,1 up for consideration first. be-
cause If the board failed to agree
on the new rate for this class, i. Was
considered as useless to proceed
with discussion on another.
The average rates of paS-. for cori.
mon and track laborers. according
to figures compiled by 50 per cent.
Of the railroads of the country are
81 cents an hour for the East. 26.7
cents an hour for the Southeast and
32.a cents for the West. Before
July I. the rates We're 39.5 East:
SOL Southeast and 37.4 West. How
ever. there are approximately 13.-
geo laborers in the South and
Southeast who are working for an
average hourly wage ranging from
IL 10 23 cents an hour. but these
men are working under rates
agreed to between their own rep