Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-20
THE RAILROAD STRIKE


hard and against the strikers and especially
against leaders, who largely responsible for the
strike which detrimental to other class Of workers and
industries.
Over four hundred thousand workers strike Tie
Philadelphia of the greatest papers in the
country the situation the following very forcefu and
clear way:
In this controversy is in fact direct issue between
the unions railroads The government thru the railroad
labor body and operating under federal statute
INTERVIEWED in dispute the board rendered decision on
wages which equally binding upon the companies and the work
A circumstance which has had powerful in turning
against the unions that they fully recognized the
jurisdiction of the board when increased the railroads po
to and repudaed its authority
only when reduced according to the same principle upon
which it raised them.
Public opinion which always been strongly favorable to
the organized railroad workers. against them 1916
change the action of the broherhoods in demand
ing passage the Aamson ba ostensby rectlyng
working conditions but effect raising wage-under threat OF
strike that up entire transportation of the
country the face of impending President Wilson, then
of campaign for reelection, hastily yielded to the in
mdaon and partisan completed the surrender OF
the government to organized groups.
railroads turned back to private management
spring 1920 they under the terms OF the new trans
poraton which substantially modified the status of the in
dury relationships of the corporations their employees
public This known the EschCummins law
reflected public nssence that neither with the
the should the suspend trans
poraton service in order impose arbitrary demands or policies
body known the United States railroad labor board
with the function of hearing and determining disputes
companies and the had failed to settle.
The accepted the law and straightway made app
addition those that had been made
during control Upon the ground that
of living had continued to RISE the board in july 1920
granted Increases of more than 70 per cent aggrgang S60
year This the decision of the nine members three
representing the railroads. three the workers and three the pub
lie and questioned it.
when added to the former increases it put
companies burden that would have banupted them they
had not had means Of getting relief they Immediately appealed
commission for authority to raise
freight and rates to provide additional revenue
order promptly issued increasing those charges
In the spring of last when living costs and
receding the railroads fell into difficulties because of
slump business sought relief from the burden of paying
wartime wages full hearings which the workers
ably represented the board ordered II reduction eff
fecve July l. 1921 representing annual saving to the rail
roads of $4OOOOOOOO year
Meanwhile the increased schedules of freight and passenger
rates produced enough operating
expenses and pay the dividends which the morally
underworld when it assumed the power fix both the
railroads the they should AS matter Of
fact charges raised that they bust
DEPRESSION there general demand that they be
reduced The result that two months the interstate
comson ordered cuts reducing the railroads freight
year. thus wpng the saving
made through the reduction of july 1921
The railroads therefore, proposed further decreases
wages with the unions proving impossible the
ordered cuts reducing the railroads freight
May board of $48
year the pay 100000 mantenanceoway workers.
On June it ordered reduction of nearly $600OO00O the
of 100000 shopm On June 16 it ruled that there
should be decrease amounting to $2600000 annually the
clerical Added the
of last these reductions represented aggregate of $685.
100000 large but still leaving the $65000
600 of the $600,000,000 increase given in 1920.
The vital point is that the board applied in these den
ticaly principle applied years ago. Upon the
ground that the of living had advanced then added
100000 the payroll and the ground that the of v
ing has receed has ruled that there should be
pondng reduction of $685. 100000 which
the large increases granted under control In each
the the labor representatives filed
dissenting opinion, the last
the strike,
tves of the railroads and the public joined public protest
But that it will last is not be believed The striking
workers have made issue which, in the of things
settled promptly For essentially they challenged