The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-10-12
Rail Unions
to Demand.
Wage Hike
Consequence of Granting Pay
Boost to Miners That
Exceeds Wartime
Peak.
To Hit Northwest Roads
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Washington, Oct. 1.-THE prepara-
tion now under way for a formal de-
mand by the railroad brotherhoods
for an advance in wages back to the
wartime peak, which was the highest
in history. is causing more thought
in Washington than apparently 1t is
in the rest of the country.
On the economic side the move is
deplored as seriously as possible. II
granted 1t means new upward
hitch in the cost of living. II denied.
it means. presumably. strike. Aside
from these deplorable economic
aspects there is good deal Of under
standing sympathy for the railroad
men, or at least understanding Of the
emotions that animate them just now.
As many see 1t. il the strike comes
It will be regarded as a direct conse-
quence of tho granting OF 10 per
cent increase to the anthracite
miners.
The miners were already at their
wartime peak. They, practically alone
among all classes of the community,
had succeeded in retaining all the
advances they had got during the
war. This unique success was due to
the determined aggressiveness OF
their leader, John l.. Lewis.
Bring Pressure to Bear.
When the railroad workers saw the
anthracite miners retain all their war
time advances and get 10 per cent
more, there arose among them a
psychology that brought pressure on
their own brotherhood leaders to see
IL they could not do as well as Lewis
These brotherhood leaders get very
large salaries, as large as some city
bank presidents, and they must re-
spond to pressure from the men. Up
to the time they saw the example oil
the anthracite miners there was no
very strong inclination to demand
higher wages among the railroad
workers.
But they say that more than half
the miners will now be getting higher
wages than the railroad workers. And
the railroad workers regard them
selves as a more deserving class and
better entitled to high wages. In
their view they are skilled workers In
a sense that most Of the miners are
not. They feel that they are almost
all native Anne ricans. while the coal
miners include masses OF foreigners.
Aware OF Responsibility.
The railroad workers think that
they have, and tive UP to, a sense
of responsibility Mat does not at
tach to miners. For the present emo
tions among railroad workers there
Is a good deal of sympathy in some
well-informed Washington quarters
IL is felt that the railroad brother.
hoods and their leaders, who are men
OF high quality have been disposed
TO act with a sense of responsibility
toward the government and the eoun'
try
II should be borne in mind that the
railroad strike of last year did not
come from the brotherhoods but from
the shop workers. The "transporta'
ton brotherhoods, who are now de
manding increases, include the engi
neers. conductors, firemen, trainmen
and switchmen.
The section OF country where the
railroads will be most affected by this
demand Is the northwest. While the
railroads in other parts OF the coun'
try are doing well just now the
northwestern railroads, according TO
Interstate Commerce commission
statistcians. arc earning less than
per cent.
Against this scant margin OF net
earnings there are now two demands:
one from the farmerlabor political
leaders, for n reduction In freight
rates on grain and some other com
modlties; and one from the brother
hood leaders for an increase In wages.
As between these two II is the better
guess that if either wins II VIII be
the brotherhood demand for higher
wages.