The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-06


workers should be asserted He said
that in taking the strike vote various
phases. such as lease work, would be
touched upon.
[BULLETIN1
CINCINNATI, June 6.-The new
wage reduction ordered for shop men
by the railroad labor board can but
intensity the present feeling of dis
satisfaction with present labor condi-
tions of the railroads and will result
in strike, according to B. NJ. Jewel
head of the Shop Mems union. While
refusing to comment on the decision
of the board until he had seen copy
of it, he declared that the reduction
was wholly unjustifiable and unfair
and would no doubt end in strike.
When present at a hearing before the
! board, Jewell showed that the shop
men are receiving a minimum wage
necessary to the proper support of
their families and that the new July
reduction would remove even this.
CHICAGO, June Cover the strong
protest of the three labor representa-
tives on the United States railroad Ia
Dor board, a new wage cut of seven
cents an hour for railway shop me-
chanics and nine cents for freight car
men, cutting four hundred thousand
shopmen apparently S60,000,000 year
| was ordered by the board today.
The new wage reduction brought an
estimated added saving of $59,669,34T
] annually to the railroads following on
the heels of a s50,000,o0o cut in the
wages of maintenance of way laborers
last week. The shop crafts decision
becomes effective July the same date
lat last weeks order
The minority report of the labor
members pointedly stated that the ma
jority decision was made with no
consideration of human needs" and
charges that it fails to carry out the
function of the board to set Just
and reasonable" wage.
The tendency of this decision Is to
vindicate the propaganda of the rail.
roads and consequently condemn such
statements as the employees have been
ableto bring to public attention" the
minority opinion said 1t was signed
, by Albert o. Wharton, w L. Nc
Menimen and Albert Phillips, the labor
| representatives
Some Rates Maintained
Supervisory forces of the railroad
/
: consideration, the decision said. il was
, felt that the duties and responsibilities
of such forces warranted maintenance
of the present rate.
The reduction for the mechanics
: average a little more than eight per
cent. all maehinists, boiler-makers,
black-smiths, sheet metal workers ana
electrical workers, carmen (except the
freight carmen), moulders, cupalo ten
ders and coremakers, and the regular
, and helper apprentices receiving cut
of seven cents per hour. Freight car
men, commonly known az car knock
ers, are the objects of some Of the
heaviest assaults by the roads in their
battle for lower wages, were cut nine
> cents.
: The larger cut was ordered for "the
: car knockers" because this board said
1t believed their work did not require
! the some2 skilled service as other
/ branches of earmen's work This
I heavier reduction for the freight car.
men came up under especially severe
| criticism in the minority report. the
labor members declaring there was nc
justification for discriminating in car
work
, Car cleaners who now receive an
average of 1913 a day, were cut Ave
cents an hour, or 40 cents a day.
The mechanics whose daily raise
now averages from $611 for electrical
/ workers to s6.28 for blacksmiths, will
i lose 56 cents a day under the new de
r cision, bringing their daily wage tc
e approximately $50.
} Another to Follow
/ The boards latest decision which il
y to be followed shortly by reductions
s for clerks, telegraphers and all other
t classes of railway employees except
S the train service men was brief anG
e offered no explanation of how the new
rates were arrived at. This omission
n brought more fire from the dissenters
z who declared the majority decision
:; did not consider human needs, ignored
7, the pleas of the employees for Twins
= wage and made no attempt to show
that mechanics are not entitled t.
L such a standard
ID Suggestions for some recognized
a STANDARD" to be worked out by tht
board and used as a basis for futur,
wage adjustments was contained II
the minority report, which consumed
several times the number of pages II
n the majority decision. The labo
members felt. they said, that tn,
= board should initiate a study whicl
!, shall determine the amount necessar,
II to meet some recognized standard ant
! tha. 1t must use its results as basi
!. for its decisions and that it must
! through those decisions transmit thi
- information to the public"
The decision. the minority repor
,. continued, tended to "substantiate th
- position Of the railroads that wage
- need not be established with refer
- ence to the needs of the family" cor
- - tending that a minimum wage for tn
- shop crafts should be so cents an hour
1cea.;.a 1,-. ,r,-o,.x