Evening star., 1926-05-02
RAIL WAGE ISSUE LOOMS
AS 'BIC 4" JOIN HANDS
Unions Soon to Seek Return to Peak
Scale of l92O-ROads Plead
Poverty.

Board did apply another cut, amount
ing to S135 100000 but not touching
the pay Of the men in train or ward
service. This hit the shop crafts, main
tenance OF way men, clerks. signal
men, oilers and firemen and produced
the nationwide strike of shopmen--a
Strike still effective on some roads.
This wage decision of 1922 was the
last having general application issued
by the Labor Board. which has been
shorn Of its powers by various SIT
preme Court decisions. and which will
go out Of existence If the new labor
measure providing the Board Of Medi
alton becomes law.
With the Labor Board crippled. III"
transportation brotherhoods returned
to the practice of dealing with individ
ual roads. and toward the end of 1928
the big Four" negotiated a per cent
raise on the New York Central. and
then succeeded in getting other Easl
ern roads TO fall in line.
Got Per Cent Raise.
Next. the brotherhoods in the Wes'
followed suit. The conductors and
trainmen first put across a raise. bu,
working conditions were go changed
according to spokesmen. that the in
crease was almost knocked out. The
engineers and f1remen then asked and
received per cent more pay. which. il
is estimated by union officials, is sligh,
ly less than half of the amount sliced
off by the Labor Board in 1921.
This was the situation then when
the wage question was revived re
Gently.
The conductors and trainmen con
ferred with the Western railroad e..
ecutives in Chicago three days il
April. and failing to reach an agree
ment recessed until May 3. Two other
group conferences are planned bV
these two brotherhoods also: one with
the Eastern and one with the South
ern lines. These two brotherhoOds
are also seeking changes in rules GOV
ering working conditions.
The preliminaries for the negotia
tions in the East already have been
made. as a matter of fact for the
conductors and trainmen have filed
their demands with the New York
Central, John c.. Walber. vice preSi-
dent OF personnel of the road. told
the House committee holding hear
ings on the Watson Parker bill las
month.
Seeks to Avoid Prejudging.
While the general subject Of wages
was under discussion. Mr.. Waller
said that his road did not want 10 bp
put in the position of prejudging the
employees demands, but he concluded.
Significantly:
"Of course, as it stands at present
we have our own ideas. We feel that
we know something about the merits
of the situation. We feel that We
know something about the condition
know what prompted them to think
that they are entitled 10 more money.
They will be entitled TO show us. and
they will be compelled to show us. too.
you can rest assured of that"
That the Eastern roads also would
bring in the freight rate issue was in
dicated by Walber. in reply TO ques-
tioning by Representative Merritt.
Il was wondering said the House
member, whether. when these organ
izations come and you meet them.
there will be disposition on their part
to have in mind that increases in
their wages will be passed on in othe
costs to people throughout the United
States"
Roads Point to Low Return.
Walber replied: IF they do not have
it i'll their minds. We will put it there
before we get through. Leave that to
us. I think these gentlemen here (his
associates at the hearing) will verify
it,"
Since the 1920 rate increase. the
railroads have suffered slash of half
a billion dollars applied by the Inter
state Commerce Commission in 1922,
and n blanket statement issued by the
Bureau of Railway Economics. a clear
ing house for the class ! lines, which
covers 231 900 of the eco 900 miles of
railroads in the United States. shows
that the roads never have made the
fair return" TO which the transporta-
ton act held they were entitled, in the
last five years.
Difficult Task FOreseen.
So with railroads pleading poverty
and the transportation employees de
manding higher pay. the heir-appar
ent to the throne of the Labor Board
will have anything but an easy task
to reconcile the opposing sides, II the
Senate gives its o. k. to the new labor
bill. which already has passed the
House.
II the legislation to bring the Board
Of Mediation into being fails. the wage
parleyS will be continued on re.
gional basis, as at present. in all like
lihood, with the result matter -
conjecture. although the word Strike
already has been heard
If mediation machinery effected =
settlement. and at the same time. safe
guarded the interests of the public. it
would be a distinct feather in the caps
Of both employers and employees. who
together conceived the Watson Parker
bill
Failure would simply mean that an
other ambitious scheme for preserv-
ing transportation peace had gone
glimmering.