The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-25
RAILWAY WAGES ARE HIGHER
Other Industries Employing Similar
Labor Pay Less, Official Says.

1
The people of Kansas will be in
/ is demanding lower. prices and lower
railroad rates, that railroads gener-
ally, and articularly in Kansas are
paying higher wages than are paid
to men doing the same kind of work
as railroading in outside industries
This situation was recently brought
to the attention of the railroad labor
board by A. L. Soule, assistant TO f.
C. Fox, general manager of the east
ern lines of the Santa Fe, and chair
man of a committee of Kansas rail-
road men who have been studying the
relation of railroad wages to the wages
being paid for analogous work IN
other industries in this state, exciuo-
ing those in Kansas City, Kan.
In presenting the results or this
study to the members of the railroad
labor board who are now considering
requests for reduction in the wages OF
railway employees. Soule said in sub
stance:
''Of the 1854 employees embraced in
this canvass and performing work
which is comparable to that per-
formed by railway shop employees. l.
44S, or SIS per cent. are receiving
lower wages than are paid for ana
Joyous work by the railroads of the
state, so, or AS per cent, are rece1v-
ing the same wages, and 126, or 10
per cent are receiving higher wages
liar services.
This Information is compiled from
a general survey of conditionsin num-
erous towns and localities over the
entire state and covers comparisons
between employees working in prac-
tically every class of industry includ- |
ing agricultural labor and general
lines of business" Soule said in ex-
planning the committees INVESTIGATION; |
at was necessary to so include all
classes in the survey for the state OF
Kansas due to the fact that there are |
no large industrial centers in the state. |
These figures present a general PIC
ture of the labor situation in outside |
industries and occupations as com |
pared with analogous labor on the |
railroads insofar as it is possible to
relate them.
relating to employees who are perform
ing work similar to that done by rail-
way shop men, IL was developed that
the positions in outside Industries
which are analogous in the main TO
railroad occupations are not confined
to craft lines; that is, a man, the ma
jority of whose work could be prop
erly compared with that of a railroad
machinist or other craftsman. per-
forms any other work of a miscel-
laneous nature incidental to the oper-
alton of the plant or Industry. Sim
ilarly, employees, the majority or
whose duties by analogy class them
lower than a railroad mechanic, are
required, as a portion of their duties
TO perform work which would take
1 higher classification with a higher
rate of pay on a railroad, but in the
outside industry the rate paid the en-
oloyes covers all services performed
strict regard to the line of
between craft and other
work" II
All of this evidence has been laid
before the railroad labor board in ,
with the provision of the
transportation act which names a
scale of wages paid for similar kinds ,
# work in other industries" as rele- I
ant factor in determining just and :
wage scales for railway /
employees. 1t is part of the railroads !
,ase for further wage reductions, the {
avings from which have been prom {
sed to the public in the form of lower !
reight and passenger rates. I