Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-30
LIVING WAGE
ASKED WOULD
RUIN RAILROADS
If Extended to Other
Industries Would Also
Wreck Them
Railroad Labor Boards Find
ings at Chicago-Term "Liv-
ing Wage" Deceives I'm.
thinking-Assert Adequate
Pay as Far as Possible to De-
termine, Has Already Been
Granted

Chicago, Oct. 2o-(By A. P.)-At-
lacking the theory of the living
wage" as a basis for determining
wages Of railroad workers. the pub
lie and railroad groups of the rail
way Labor Board in an opinion made
public tonight declared such a course
If carried to its legitimate conclu-
sion would wreck every railroad in
the United States and if extended to
other industries would carry them in
to communistic ruin
The opinion in the form of a re-
jolnder to a dissenting opinion filed
by A. Q. Wharton, labor member, in
the recent decision increasing the
pay of maintainence of way employees
two cents an hour. declared if en-
ployes were granted 70 to rs cents
minimum wage for common labor
with corresponding differentials for
other classes, an increase of 1851
per cent in the nations railroad wage
bill would be necessary. This, the
opinion said. would add $3,122.952.-
80 ~ lily iiiiitidl pay IOll vi II
TO IS. 5S3,445,993. which would mean,
il added. an annual deficit to the car
riers Of s2.241. 639.51S.
Even if the Ascent minimum wage
requested by maintenance of way
men were granted and corresponding
differcntialS were made for other
classes of employees, the opinion said,
an increase of 50.45 per cent in wa
gcs would be necessary, adding ST.
249,330.994 to the annual wage bill
Of the roads. bringing it up to So
25,SS4,54O thus forcing the carriers
to face an annual deficit of $37S,-
,O7S.125.
The phrase living wage" was
termed in the opinion as "a bit of
mellifluous prascology. we'll ca1cula-
ted to deceive the unthinking." if the
contentious were that the board
should establish Giving wage" the
majority would readily accede to the
proposition. the opinion said, and as
z matter Of fact. the board in this
instance as in all others. has grant
ed living wage. But the abstract,
elusive thing called 1.-THE living wage"
confessedly based upon a makeshift
and guess, cannot receive the sane
ton of this board. because it would
be utterly impractical and would not
be 'just and reasonable" as the law
demands.
Mr.. WhartOn's dissenting opinion
and the supporting opinion in reply
are attached to the formal decision
cino "a of tot
of way employees two cents an hour,
establishing minimum ranging
from 25 to 81 cents. The United
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Employees. held strike order affect
ing 100000 men in allegiance last
July after the board had reduced
wages, pending a request for an in
crease based on the contention that
the costs of living had advanced and
wages in other instances had been
raised.
When the case came up mainten-
ance of way officials asked the board
to subscribe to the principle of the
living wage" based on a budget of
what was required for an average
family of five persons to live in
health and reasonable comfort. A
majority of the board refused to sub
scribe to this principle, asserting that
the transportation act called for es-
tablishing "just and reasonable"
wage and that a just and reasonable
wage was in effect a living wage.
The Maintenance of way organiza.
ton asked the board to establish
minimum rates of pay of As cents an
hour to replace rates then in effect,
ranging from % to 35 cents. After
a deadlock of several days, the board
made public its decision formally
handed down today increasing rates
of pay two cents an hour, and adding
about $40, 200, 900 to the railroad pay