Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-24
The Truth About
The Railroads
Were Railroad Workers Cverpa:a
During Federal Control

snokesmen Tor the railroad inter
ests have charged that during INC
8neriod of Federal control the WORKERS
fook advantage Of the labor shortage
to wiring excessive and unWarra M
wages from the government. III
clam has been put forward VIII
the obvious object of preJudlclng pup
lie opinion against railway WORKERS:
In the interest of truth 1t IS I'M
portant that the facts be esta oilSheu'
Testifying before the Senate Gonl-
n,;rtee on Interstate Commerce, rep
mary / 1922, William Gibbs McAdoo'
former director general Of railroads
during the first year OF Federal Coli-
AN absolute essential TO the
achievement of these imperative needs
relieving the unprecedented conges-
tinn of traffic and restoring efflclent
onaration of the railroads. was to
satisfactorily dispose OF the LABOR
problems.
"Railroad employees throughout the
country were thoroughly discontented
and strikes were impending every
where. -;
"The railroad executives had testl-
fed before the Interstate Commerce
Commission and elsewhere that rail-
road WAGES were below the scale pala
in competitive industries and had been
seeking increases in rates IN order
that they might increase wages.
Railroad Labor Grossly Undergrad.
"Pailroad labor was grossly I'M
derpaid and there were many grave
abuses in the matter Of working con,
ditiors on the railroads which needed
correction. :,
at was clear that the railroad en-
ployes could not be expected to Wofs
for the railroads at lower rates OIL
nav than they could command in the
competitive industries throughout inc
country. lo
it impossible for many OF them W
live on the wages they were receiving
and it was clearly in the interest OF
;usticc and right, to say nothing OIL lhe
wisdom and reason Of the policy 10
bring their wages to a level Whlch
would enable the railroads to COM
mand the requisite amoW:1 OF ser'lce
and TO prevent continued depleIl0N u
their forces, with the constant LABOR
turnover which railroad managers
themselves had insisted was one OF the
reasons why they were unable 10 Mani
the railroads function efilclentlE.
Before the Interstate commerce
Commission, in March, 1917, pfesi-
dent Underwood, OF the Erie Prcsi-
dent Samuel Rea, Of the Pennsyl-
vania; President Smith, of the New
York Central, and several other rail-
road executives complained that the
low wages being paid workers We're |
driving thousands Of men OFT OIL rail-
road service and preventing the eiti-
Gent operation of the railroads.
Commission Chooses TO Study Wages.
Mr. McAdoo testified that between
1.-THE co-ordinating demands OF the
workers and the managers Tor m
creased wages he was unwilling, TO
act solely upon his own ludgenlea-
Accordingly, on January Is, 1918, ne
created a. Railway Wage Commission
to inquire into the subject and make
a finding.
This commission was composed OF
the late Franklin K. Lane, then Sec
rotary of the Interior; c. c. McChord,
member of the Interstate Commerce
Commission; J. II. Covington, CHIEF
Justice of the Supreme Court OF the
District of Columbia, and ". r. VII
cox, Chairman Of the National Re-
publican Committee.
"This Commission" Mr.. McAdoo
testified. "upon exhaustaivc lnvestl-
cation, found that ranging from As
per cent for the lowest paid to moth
ing for the highest paid
'In this connection, the findings OF
this commission utterly refute the
charges that railroad employees took
advantage of the war emergency to
wiring undeserved and unreasonable
concessions in wages from the COVER
ment. The Commission said:
at has been somewhat popuia:
impression that railroad employees
were among the most highly paid
workers. But figures gathered from
the railroads disposed OF this belief"
After a year Of war and two years
of rising prices-when Coach dollar
represented in its power to purchase
place in which to live, food to eat
and clothing to wear. but IL cents az
against 100 cents of January, 1915"
these wage rates were being paid DT
the railroads, according to the Nag"
Commission:
One hundred and eighty-onc tnou-
sand six hundred and ninety-three
(lS1,693) men received between S6e
and So per month; S12,761 received
from $55 to IS per month; section
men received S50.31 per month; the
average S5S.57 per month; freight
brakemen and fiagmen averaged
SOLO.
Less than per cent Of all en-
ployes were receiving in excess OF