The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-07-24

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diator for rail laborl And this comes
closely upon recent revelations con-
corning the terroristic campaign
against Negro firemen in Mississippi.
Roosevelt's appointment Of Glass
shows the type of men being chosen
to decide the destiny of Negro and
white rail workers. lynch law de-
fender bringing with him all his
prejudices.
The Rail Executives Reduce"
Their Salaries
The press these days is circulating
widely reports that railroad presi-
dents have voluntarily" reduced
their own salaries, both before and
after rail coordinator Eastman's talk
on that subject in Washington, July
IA. And how these rail heads have
taken this talk to heart! For ex-
ample: Daniel Willard. B. g. o. pres
ident now gets only between $4,000
and 100000 a year after his cut. And
G neral Atterbury, Pennsylvania
head, has been reduced to the
measly sum of between 100000 and
100000 against his former $15o,Oo0
yearly stipend!
Tabulation of the salaries Of the
presidents of 10 railroads, including
the two incomes L. F. Loree nets as
head of two roads, reveals that their
combined annual salaries, after re-
cent cuts, total $4,000. Among
these roads are included N. Y. Cen
tral Lines, the Chesapeake and Ohio;
Lehigh Valley; New York, New Haven
&c Hartford and several others. j. M.
Davis, Delaware, Laekawanna and
Western r. R. chief, has been re-
duced to paltry $4,000 a year.
At the same time an Associated
Press reports dispatch on the Davis
road that it is charged with "engag-
ing private detectives to prevent ma
chinists, boilermakers, blacksmiths
and electrical workers from. joining
unions" This is labor's freedom"
to organize about which the Roose-
welt demagogues are continually
spouting.
But the presidents need not be
alarmed according to Eastman, who
said in his speech, 1.-THE executives
will have much more to gain by such
an adjustment than they can pos
sibly lose" To which the rail owners
solemnly answer Amen" For where
are such salary reductions to go, who
will benefit by them? Will these
"cuts" go to restore the 10 per cent
wage cut; to provide unemployment
insurance to the jobIess rail work.
ers; to furnish relief for part time
workers?
OF course not. Rather they will
go to increase the profits Of the
owners, to swell their dividends pay
ments or, as in the case of the Bal
timore and Ohio r. R., to increase
its control in other companies. New
York Times, July Is, reports that
the B. 81 o. now owns AZ per cent
of the Reading Co. stock and is in
position to cash in heavily on this
transaction with market profit on
the purchase nearly 100 per cent"
Rail Workers Dividends"
Some 40 railroad section laborers
were found living in a "box car vii
lage," on the railroad tracks at the
northwest tip of New York City,
formerly owned by the New York
Central. For food and lodging these
rail workers have to pay Sc a week.
But, remarks the N. Y. World TeIe-
gram, 1.-The railroad men earn AZ
pnnfc hnyr,s
days and less per week during the
winter" Assuming they worked two
days every week, at AZ cents an hour
for an 8-hour day their earnings
would have amounted to about s6.72
out of which 70 cents would be left
to pay for clothing, recreation, me-
dicine and the hundred and one
other necessaries essential to workers.
Poor Mr.. Williamson of the N. Y.
Central, however, is also forced to
"get along" now on a puny $4,000
a year,
Only occasionally do reports of the
plight of employed" Il. e. part time)
railroad workers appear in the press
Such an account appeared in the
N. Y. Times in connection with talk
OF increased rail unemployment. The
N. Y. Central. for example, jubilantly
announces that during July, nine of
its locomotive shops are expected to
operate at an average of approx
mately is days month. At the
same time, however, they are forced
to admit that during March, eight
locomotive shops operated at an aver
age Of only 11.6 days per month.
With mechanics and helpers averag-
ing around 60 cents an hour with the
10 per cent cut) on the basis of the
8-hour day, this meant about $55 q
month for those employed. But then,
many worked only 5 days month
or so, which meant only $24 monthly.
And the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe r. RI reports that locomotive re-
pair workers at its shops in Cleburne,
Texas, have been increased in July
from two to three days work a week
or to slightly over the N. Y. Central
average for March. The highest esti-
mates for repair shop workers give
only 16 and 10 days a month as the
period Of employment during July.
Most employed maintenance workers
get much less work. Naturally, the
capitalist press picks up such scarce
items for bally-hoo in connection
with alleged recovery" propaganda
Already many roads are giving
burroughs and reductions in COM
pensation below the May level" a,
is seen by the announcement that
complaints of such practices are ex-
pected to be filed with Eastman, the
New York Times, July IS, 1888, an.