Evening star., 1926-05-02
BY JOSEPH A. FOX.


TIME railroad wage issue long
dormant. has bobbed sharply
to the fore again, and gives
4 promise shortly of occupying
Il comma. ding position in the
industrial situation of the country.
inasmuch as there is every indication
that the four major brotherhoods--
conductors, trainmen, engineers and
firemen-will be united in a demand
for d pay raise that will put the scale
back where it was fixed by the Rail
road Labor Board in 1920-the high
est in history.
The conductors and trainmen al
ready have opened negotiations.
ductors and the Brotherhood of Rail-
road Trainmen; the members of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers,
10000 strong, are in receipt Of ques-
tionnaires from general headquarters
asking their views on Il Nationwide
wage increase movement, and the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
and Engineers have taken a referen-
dunn. the result of which has not been
made public, but which is considered
in labor circles to have been favorable
incidentally, no one believes other
than that the negotiations will be
already having been reached in the
West, where the demands of the con-
ductOrS and trainmen had their incep-
tion, and where the negotiations will
be resumed tomorrow after a suspen-
sion of nearly month. Some indica-
ton of the direction in which the wind
is blowing may be seen in the fact
that the Western roads have asked
for a 5 per cent increase in freight
hot
are not making a fair return and
have not been permitted to receive
the same advantages as roads in the
rest of the country.
Pay Faces Rough Road.
In a brief filed with the Interstate
Commerce Commission in support of
their claim for the rate increase the
roads said it might mean "the saliva
ton Of many of the lines, which
would indicate that in the face of such
an argument pay increase plea faces
a rocky road
Under these circumstances. a bap.
tism of fire is in prospect for the new
rail board of mediation if the Watson
Parker bill creating 1t is enacted into
| law, for notice has been served that
the wage issue will be put up TO the
board
The present wage agitation comes
after lapse of something less than
! three years since the last general
/ movement was instituted by the big
A. -brotherhoods, by which they OBJ
tanned an increase of per cent,
which made up in part for q previous
cut Instituted by the Labor Board in
1921.
Want 81 More Day.
The demands of the conductors and
tralnmen, in whose ranks the yard
men also generally are found, are for
a raise amounting 10 about 81 q day
and II granted would mean the addi
| ton of millions Of dollars to the pay
| rolls of the roads. The enginemen are
expected to ask about the same.
When the scale now sought was In
stituted by the Labor Board in 1920
! it was designed TO meet the increased
! cost of living bred by the war, and in
response to a tremendous controversy
! inherited from the Railroad Admins
| tration, which operated the roads un
der Federal control
| In Midsummer of 1919 virtually all
classes of railroad workers dema nded
| higher pay TO meet the rapidly mount
ing living costs. and when their com
/ plants went unanswered many strikes
brotherhood to hold the men in line
! pending an amicable adjustment
Some compromises were effected. but
President Wilson was advised by
Walker d. Hines, Director General OF
Railroads that an Independent agency
was needed to treat with the rail prob
! lem in all it's ramifcations, and the
result was the creation of the Labor
/ Board
Granted 100000, 900 Increase.
| After study. the board granted ar
increase of $500 900 900. effective as
of May /, 1920, applicable to all
classes of workers
Based upon this increase. the Inter
state Commerce Commission allowed
to the railroads a general rate boost
designed 10 take care of the addition
to the pay roll. but which the labor
unions still contend amounted to q
billion dollars in excess of the wage
| figure.
With the unions holding that the
railroads had actually profited by the
rate-making arrangement. a concerted
protest arose in July, 1921. when the
Labor Board applied cut Of $37S.
100000 to railroad wages, all classes OF
workers being affected and the big
Four" brotherhoods threatened tC
strike. The contemplated walkout was
not directed wholly against that wage
cut. however. but to stave off another
which the brotherhoods were advised
it was said. that the management pro-
posed shortly to seek.
Strike Movement Died Out.
The strike movement died out
however, when the train and engine
men were advised that no cut would
be considered by the Labor Board for
another year. at least.
In the july following the I.ahor