The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-03-31
WAGE SCALE Plan
HELD ALL WRONG
PRINCIPLE Is ALL WRONG
CLAIMS B. M. JEWELL
Head of Rail Employees Depart
ment American Labor FEEDER
alton Appeared Before FEEDER
al Board Today In Behalf His
Men; Opposes General Salary
Cut.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch


Chicago March 25.-Characteriz-
ing the present principles of wage
adjustment as unjust B. NJ. Jewell
president of the railway employees
department of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor told the railroad la
Dor board today that costs and wag-
es should remain constant, even TO
the elimination of profits, and that
until that economic basis was ac-
eeptsd, conflict between capital and
labor would continue.
: Mr.. Jewell opened his fight
against general wage reductions
sought by 205 railroads before the
board today. He termed irrelevant
all carriers argument OF lower ltv-
ing costs. and lower wages in other
industries: he asserted the So call
ed law of supply and demand will
never AFFORD a living wage in a sys-
tenn organized according TO modern
business principles" and declared
for living wage for all productive
workers Of the country.
Living Wage Theory
Interest and profits must not con
tinae while the working man suf-
fers low wages and unemployment,
Mr.. Jewell asserted in presenting
his theory of the living wage. A
guarantee of steady earning power
to the wage Garner. even at the eX
pense of the immediate profits he
added, would go far toward elimi-
mating these recurrent periods OF
depression"
THE railroads are saying to
their employees. We cannot afford to
pay a living wage, while we say
that the railroad must pay at least
that" Mr.. Jewell said. The coun
try must pay all productive workers
a living wage.
The union leader declared that
the railroads, the steel corporations
had piled up a surplus of 81 ,2S7, 607
SAT In the war years from 1915 to
1920.
These enormous funds are guar
anteeing profit payments while the
concerns operate to a very = small
proportion of capacity-in some in
stances less than thirty per cent,
Mr.. Jewell continued.
No voice Against Swollen Profits
yet, although much pity is
voiced for the suffering due to IN
employment, no voice Is raised to
suggest that the swollen profits oil
the past i've years be paid back in
to the industry to save the employ
es from the terroTs OF such a period
we feel that mere adjustment oil
wage rates to minute variations IL
the cost of living would be a purely
statistical problem for the boards
force. requiring no hearing or elab-
rate pre-. paration on either side. II
the board should interpret its func-
-tion to be merely TO determine the
level OF wage rates established in
the outside labor market, it would
thereby become a mere gauge and
so defeat the purpose for which il
was established"
The employees argument for the
six shop crafts. which are being
considered separately at present
will cover Mr. Jewell said, an ex-
animation of the relation between
railroad wages and wages in. indus
try as whole and the cost Of
necessities Of a healthy family life
an exposition" of the forces fixins
wages in the labor market, a study
of the national income with a view
to ascertaining whether industry
can afford to paw a living wage, and
a forecast Of the effect on the
countrys prosperity resulting
from payment Of living wage.