The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-06-12
Roads Ask 20 Per
Cent Wage Cut;
Income Up in Yea,

In the face Of rising living costs
and short time that has cut rail-
road earnings to the bone, railroad
executives are determined to push
through their plan for further wage
cuts. On top of the 10 per cent al
ready in effect until Nov. l, the roads
will ask for an additional 10 per cent
slash.
1t is admitted by financial experts
that from 1915 to 1889, general trade
union wage rates advanced by ap-
proximately $50 per cent. while wage
rates for most classes of the railroads
rose by only go per cent (the cost Of
living, of course, scared ahead Of such
"ineFeases'D. At the same time, in
$780, there were fewer men employed
on The roads than in 1910. And this
smaller working force was moving 70
per cent more traffic. I'm terms of
gross ton miles OF freight and passen-
ger car movement" according to a
eoo-page volume on transportation
prepared by the Brookings Institu-
ton, output per man grew by 36 per
cent between 1923 and 1929 and con-
tinued to increase even during the
recent depression years. . :" While
railroad men were speeded up to pro-
duce more, the Morgans, Vaaderbilts,
Van SweringenS and their like pock-
eted we'll over $4,000,o00,000 in divi-
dends and bond interest.
Railroad Income Up-PayRolls Down
OF the first 80 roads to report
earnings in April, 1888, nineteen
showed improved net operating in
comes compared with last April. The
rate of decline in income of all $50
Class roads has evidently been
checked, All roads reported a de-
cline of only 81 per cent in April
As against ST. in March and 1916 per
cent for July, 1892. The N. Y. Gen.
trail showed an increase in operat-
ing income of $1,056,000 for the
month in spite of a decrease of
81, 433 900 in gross revenue.
After forcing its non-union work.
ers to donate 6 days work month
without pay, Illinois Central showed
on operating income half a million
dollars above April, 1882. Chicago &
Northwestern, which laid off 260 rail-
way carmen during a single week in
May, reduced its deficit in April by
100000. BY such lay-effs and re-
duetions in payroll it will probably
Tipe out its deficit completely in
May.
Economies instituted by the Lehigh
Valley during the past five years
would enable this road to pay $3.50
a share on its $50 par common stock
Here are some of the economies:
The Lehigh bought % new freight
engines in 1882 and cut out two
through freight trains, saving of
almost 100000 year 1.-TWO full crews
plus repair men lost jobs). Many
local trains were cut out and Al sta
tions have either been wholly closed
or put ON part time, Track sections
were reduced from 800 to 1871. This
triples the load on each worker. Sig
nal sections were either combined or
heightened, and not one cent was
put aside for helping the men laid
off by these economies
N. Y. Central Milks Willing Govt
Reporting a gain of $5,ooO,ooo in
property sold in 1882, the N. Y. Gen.
tral admits that most of this was
from the sale to the government Of
the property at Lexington Ave. and
45th st. This was the building sold
to the government for a post office
for 100000. The building cost the
Central 81 100000 in 1910. When the
deal went through the Daily Worker
estimated profit of S5,00o,O00. Not
such bad guess!
At the same time the Central re-
port shows 100000 collected from
farmers and worker consumers in
higher freight rates.
An order for 500 steel box cars by
the Great Western Railroad will re-
place equipment which is obsolete
and expensive to maintain" accord
ing to P. H. Joyce, president of that
road What about replacing expen-