Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-03-29
R,R,5HOP WAGE
SET BY BUDGET
IN GRAF IS PLEA
Jewell, Head Of Unions,
Presents $2,636.97 as
Limit of Men s Needs.
Says Some Now Sup
port Families by Out
side Income.

Chicago. March 2S-Industries
should use the same principle in sup
plying energy to their employees as in
supplying coal under their bodies, B.
NJ Jewell, head of the shop crafts
unions, told the railroad labor board
Tuesday. in presenting budget requir-
ing $2,636.97 year for sustaining
workingman's family.
America with such productive pow
ers and such natural resources, should
afford all her workers more than
shabby existence" Mr.. Jewell declared,
in continuing his fight against wage
reductions sought by 2O4 railroads be
fore the board. To secure what Mr..
JEWELS budget provides, however, the
labor leader said. railroad mechanics
would have to earn 40 per cent more
than they now receive.
Let Food Galleries Decide
His budget, Mr.. Jewell said. was
based on the needs of an average rail-
road mechanics family. 1t provided,
he asserted, no more than f'sane sup
ply Of food and only the barest mini
mum in other respects The food
menus. samples of which he presented
" TO the board, would furnish the wage
Garner 4.14O calories q day. The 81
6309S family budget, Mr.. Jewell said.
was about $500 more than the depart
ment Of fabor's budget.
''Some people undoubtedly will COM
ment upon the absurdity of a mere
worker expecting an income of this
size" said Mr.. Jewell. "1f they are
honest they will recognize that they
are remarking on the absurdity of the
workers receiving as much goods as
are enumerated in the budget. If such
people are really honest. they will
enumerate articles which it is absurd
that workers family should have. and
will state what, in their opinion.
worker may expect as the minimum
allowance in return for his service to
society.
Roads Offer 81 900 Less
Under the S71a cents an hour rate
which the railroads propose. a mechanic
can make 81 ,651. 40 a year, $1,000 less
than the amount necessary to purchase
the essentials listed in the budget.
Then there is the rate of 40 cents
an hour proposed for helpers. With not
All hour of regular working time missed
during the year, year - this is, means annual
food of S3S3.2O provides 10 cents q
meal for the man and six cents daily
for the youngest child. For clothing
$50 is allowed.
Every article Of clothing must wear
from two to three times as long as is
contemplated in the budget prepared by
the economists for the railroad work
ers Three summer union suits must do
about three years service. The mans
suit must wear eight years, his winter
Overcoat 10 years. Oat meal, potatoes
and coffee prevail in the menu because
coffee acts as stimulant in place Of
adequate nourishment and oatmeal and |
potatoes are filling"
Same as Bankruptcy
The business concern which cannot !,
meet it's fixed charges is bankrupt; |
failure to provide healthy standard !
OF living for his family-a working
mans fixed charge-means eventual |
physical and moral bankruptcy to the |
nation. This was the axiom on which /
Mr.. jewell based his plea for living !
wage for the nations rail workers.
His figures comparing railroad en- |
ployes' expenditures for food with mini |
mum requirements for bare subsistence, I
were worked out by Professor NJ. f. |!
Jaffa, food specialists of the Univer-
sity Of California, and showed that rail- |
road mechanics in 1921 were able to |
purchase but 81 per cent Of the meat. /
fish. milk and eggs necessary for |
maintenance of their families at the !
lowest level of safety, Mr. Jewell said. |
Higher wages rather than a further
cut, therefore. were urged on the board |
by Mr.. Jewell in his fight against the |
10 per cent slash proposed by 2O5 roads /
now before the board. Wages, he as
serted, were ''the life blood of the ma
tlon and reduction of wages means re-
duction of nOurishment to the bodies Of |
citizens
Now Fall 5000 Year Short
'.rhe railroad industry does not nav
a living wage to the mechanics en-
ployed in it's Shops" said Mr.. Jewell.
I'VE have measured the average month
ly earnings of men in the railroad shops
by every possible standard and in ev-
cry instance they were found wanting.
The purchasig power of railroad
families will become strained by the an
alysis of 254 itemized monthly expense
accounts. They are distributed over
the country, but in no sense selected.
The statements include careful records
of food and quantities bought.
The average income of these fami-
lies amounted to $1935.5O, of which
$40 came from other than railroad
wages being usually secured from
boarders. The average expenditure was
$la)S9.64. The income from the railroad
falls short by nearly 5000 year Of the
actual amount which these families
spent"
Get About 50 Per Cent Of Needs
With prices prevailing during the
year of AJ21, mechanics in railroad ,
sstss55 (C0nfinnaA - Da~~ re~Ar In