The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-01-03
s59,669,347 IS
YEARLY SAVING
STRONG PROTEST BY LABOR REP
RESENTATIvES; BOARD MAKES
CUT IN SHOP WORKERS PAY
Just And Reasonable Wage IL Not
Established by Majority Declares
Minority Opinion on
Decision

Chicago-Over the strong protest Of
the three labor representatives on the
United States railroad labor board.
new wage cut of seven cents an hour
for railway shop mechanics and nine
cents for freight car men cutting AGO.
900 shop men approximately 100000
900 a year was ordered by the board
Tuesday.
The new wage reduction brought an
estimated added saving of s59,669,347
annually to the railroads, following on
the heels of a s5O,OOO,OOO cut In the
wages of maintenance of way laborers
last week. The shop crafts decision
becomes effective July 1, the Same
date as last weeks order.
"The tendency of the decision Is to
indicate the propaganda of the rail-
roads and consequently condemn such
statements as the employees have been
able to bring to public attention." the
minority opinion said. 1t was signed
by Albert o. Wharton, W. L. McAleni-
men and Albert Phillips, the three Ia
Dor representatives.
The reduction for mechanics aver
aged little more than s per cent, all
machinsts, boilermakers, blacksmiths.
sheet metal workers. electrical work.
ers, carmen Except freight car mem
moulders, cupola tenders and core
makers and the regular and helper ap-
prentices receiving a cut of cents an
hour. Freight car men, commonly
ject of some of the heaviest assaults
by the roads in their battle for lower
wages, were cut 8 cents.
The larger cut was ordered for the
"car knockers" because the board said
it believed that their work did not re-
quire the same skilled service as other
branches of Garments work. This
heavier reduction for the freight car
men came under especially severe
criticism in the minority report, the
labor members declaring there was no
justification for discrimination in car
work.
Car cleaners, who now receive an
average of S3.19 a day, were cut. )
cents an hour, or 40 cents a day.
The mechanics whose daily rate now
averages from S611 for electrical WORK.
ers to s62S for blacksmiths, will lose
sc cents a day under the new decision
bringing their daily wage to approx
mately $50.
The boards latest decision which is
to be followed shortely by reduction
for railway clerks, telegraphers and
all other classes of railway employees
except the train service men. was
brief and offered no explanation of
how the new rates were arrived at.
This dismission brought more fire fro-.
the dissenters who declared the ma
jority decision did not consider "hu-
man needs ignored the pleas for
Giving wage" and made mo attempt
to show that mechanics are not en-
titled TO such standard"
Suggestion for "some recognized |
standard" to be worked out by the |
board and used as a basis for future |
wage adjustments was contained in /
the minority report. which consumed |
several times the number of pages in |
the majority decision. The labor men, |
bers felt, they said, that the board |
should initiate study which shall |
determine the amount necessary to |
meet some recognized standard and |
it must use its results as a basis for |
its decisions and that it must. through |
those decisions transmit this inrorma-
ton to the public
The decision. the minority report |
tended "to substantiate the
position of the railroads that wages
need Dot be established with reference
to the needs of the family" contend
ing that a minimum wage for the shop
crafts should be 90 cents an hour,
would mean rate of 81 cents for
skilled mechanics.