Evening star., 1938-10-30

because Of the increased productivity
Of railway labor and the increased
responsibility that 1t Is now required
to assume. They assert that during the
last II years there has been a steady
decrease In the number Of employees
per mile of track operated, in the
number Of hours worked per mile Of
track operated, and in the total COM
pensation Of employees per mile OF track
operated. This lowering Of the cost Of
labor's services, the employees insist,
justifies their resistance to any wage
reduction. Moreover. they state that
substantially the same mileage, and
approximately the same tonnage, Is
moved over the rails today as was
moved in 1920, by approximately half
the men.
Fifth, the employees express the
opinion that recent improvements in
general business conditions and in the
volume Of traffic initiate against q
wage reduction.
Declare Reduction Plan
Was Hastily Conceived.
Sixth. the employees maintain that
the proposal for a wage reduction was
hastily conceived and without regard to
its effect upon wage level movements
in other industries. They maintain
that railroad wage reduction would
inevitably be followed by wage cuts in
other industries; that 1t is contrary to
the present sound national policy to
maintain wage rates and to bring low
wages up to a tolerable level; that II
railway wage reductions were followed
by wage reductions in industry gener-
ally. it would bring a further loss OF
jobs on the railroads.
Seventh, the employees maintain that,
contrary to the statements of the car
riers. railway wages do not compare
favorably with wage levels and trends
In other industries. The only fair
measure of earnings they state, is the
hourly wage The average hourly
earnings were 705 cents in 1920 and
fell to a low Of 598 cents in 1923.
Although they reached $50 cents in
1881. they fell again in 1888 to 500
cents. For the first half of 1898 the
average hourly earnings we're 73.1
cents. This was 85 cents higher than
in 1886, 20 per cent higher than in
1888, 1873 cents higher than in 1929,
but only 2.6 per cent, or 81 cents,
higher than in the second half OF 1920.
The employees object to the adjusted
earning figures used by the carriers.
mi Nd
numbers cannot properly measure the
coet Of living. but that they neglect
"the most important element in con-
sidering costs Of. living" the added
cost to the family of purchasing new
items which have since come into the
customary standard Of living of wage
earners.
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONs OF THE BOARD: In, its re-
port, the board makes the following
findings and recommendations:
Proposed legislative programs-"The
board has had presented to it pro-
grams, more or less specific. for the
relief Of the railroad industry.
These programs have been offered
as alternatives to the present pro-
posal. Whatever their ineffectiveness
may be in af1ording the quick finan-
cial relief which the carriers claim
is their present need, the evidence
before the board has impressed it
with the necessity that now rests on
Government for a complete and thor
oughgoing reconsideration Of the re-
lationship Of the railroad industry to
our national well-being"
THE hearings before this board have
thoroughly impressed it with the fact
that both carriers and railway labor
have now a vital and common con.
Germ In the working out OF an ade-
quate, national transportation policy.
Both cooperation and imagination
can be expected to be forthcoming
from railway labor as well As from
the carriers. Whatever may be the
disposition Of this present proceed