The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-30
AGREE PRESENT
LEVELS SHOULD
Be MAINTAINED
Several Refuse to Discuss
Problem in Survey by
United Press.
OWEN D. YOUNG SILENT
Macy, Railroad and Utility
Heads All Against
SlasheS.
Copyright. 1891. by United Press


NEW YORK, July 30. - Leaders
in railroad, utility and mercantile
fields declared their opposition to
any projects for wage cuts, in state
ments to the United Press today,
and indicated their belief that pres
ent wage levels must be maintained.
A few, including Owen D. Young,
chairman of board of the General
Electric Company, declined to dis
cuss the situation. The United
Press has requested statements OF
the leaders position on wage cuts.
Walter S. Clifford, president Of
the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company. emphatically reit-
Grated a statement he made last
April in which he declared that
"every effort should be made to
maintain wages"
Jesse Isidor StrauS, president Of
r. H. Macy & Co.; P. E. Crowley,
president of the New York Central
Railroad Company, and Daniel VIII
lard, president of the Baltimore 81
Ohio railroad, agreed In favoring
maintenance of todays wage scale.
Even on Part Time
Several executives maintained that
where, because of slack business, it
has not been possible to maintain as
large a force of active workers as
in normal times, efforts have been
made, and should be made, to keep
the maximum number of men en-
ployed, even on part time.
II am not in favor of reducing
railroad wages at the present time"
said President Willard. II can not
speak for other interests, and what
] have said simply is an expression
of my own opinion at this time"
Gifford's declaration was as fol-
lows:
cat the annual luncheon of the
Associated Press in April I said that
I believed we should make every eff
fort to maintain wages. This still
is my view. In the effort to keep a
maximum force at work, full-time
employment has not been possible
for all employees in all parts of the
Bell system, but there has been no
reduction in wage rates"
A telegram from P. e. Crowley Of
the New York Central lines, read:
CAS- yet the New York Central
lines have not considered reduction
in wages"
The reply Of J. I. Straus of Macy's
was hopeful of an improvement in
business. Straus said:
Macy Business Better
Replying to your telegram, believe
wages and salaries should not be
reduced as long as dividend rates
are maintained. Consideration Of
reductions of wages and salaries
should be after reductions of divi-
dends are forced. Following my
statement at the presidents con-
ference in November, 1929, we re-
peatedly have announced to our
organization that it was not our in
tention to reduce wages but that
their cooperation was essential.
Our business shows improvement
and it is our hope and expectation
that we shall be able to continue
present salaries and wages"
T. G. Lee, president of Armour
g. Company, regards the wage prob
lem as one for Individual solu-
ton by each industry. In his reply
to the inquiry he said:
Salary and wage question pre-
sents different problem to every
individual company. Prefer not to
discuss it,"
Thanks. Nothing to say" read
the telegram from Owen D. Young,
chairman of the board of the
General Electric Company. Young
was associated for months in the
attempt to settle Europe's postwar
difficulties, and it was his economic
plan which was finally adopted as
basis for German debt settlements.
L. J. Noah, president of the
American Wooden Company, wired
briefly; Have no statement to make
on the wage cut situation"