Evening star., 1947-10-22
Board Starts Weighing
Decision Today in
Transit Wage Case

The Arbitration Board which has
been holding hearings on the wage
increase demands for 1000 Capital
Transit Co. employees today was to
begin considering its decision at a
meeting in Philadelphia, the home
of the board chairman
The board Is headed by DR.. George
w. Taylor, who was chairman. of
the old War Labor Board He said
tentative plans are for meetings in
Philadelphia today, tomorrow and
Friday. He added it is impossible to
set time when the boards decision
would be announced.
Other members of the board are
Edmund L. Jones, Capital Transit
attorney, and o. David Zimring
director of the Labor Bureau of the
Middle West, union representative.
The board began hearings, which
were held in the Raleigh Hotel, on
September %. They were concluded
late yesterday, with final arguments
by Representatives of the union and
the company.
AASAVl u SAS Jus SStCAs
In the arguments. the most def
mite reference to the possibility of
the company asking an increase In
fares was made by E. d. Merrill,
company president.
The evidence clearly shows we
must have an increase in fare If
wages are raised and probably even
if not" he declared.
In the matter of wages, he said
the company had led the procession
in the postwar period.
Isn't 1t time now to lead the pro-
cession in StabiliZation?" he asked
Il have felt that fairness and just
ness does not permit increases at
this time"
The union Is seeking wage in
creaSes Of IS per cent, in addition
to other concessions
Eli E. Oliver, representing the
union, gave the final argument for
that side, and Hawley S. Simpson
labor counsel for the Capital Tran
sit, gave the bulk of the company Z
presentation.
Union Holds Wages Lag.
Mr.. Oliver said the company, In
denying the wage increases, mot
only proposed to turn the clock back
but to throw the calendar out OF
theh window"
He said Capital Transit wages are
less than what Is standard in COM
parable industries in the District
and that the level of the company's
wages has been raised less than
those Of the country as whole.
The company's wages. he said
also have Jagged behind living costs
Mr.. Simpson asserted that the
union demands would mean 55 pei
cent increase in the basic wage rate
He referred to them as patiently
absurd wage requests and extrava-
CANT fringe demands" The COM
pany. which already Is getting q
'substandard return" cannot afford
to pay even l cent an hour in
crease" he added.
I'VE have shown" he said, "hoW-
ever.. that the wage structure OF
this company, with moderate up
ward adjustment will fit into the
framework of the structure Of the
industry of this country.
Cites Imitation Spiral.
1--WE have shown that an increase
of cents an hour will result in a
real wage higher than at any time
prior TO January, 1941, and higher
than at any. time since then, except
for a brief period from November,
l945 to June, 1916.
The only way the inflationary
spiral can be slowed down is by
tompering wage increases. The time
b has come to face reality again-to
face reality or face disaster.
Here is group of men asked to
make a moderate sacrifice which,
if done, would result in relief from
imitation. The transit companies
throughout the United States are
looking at this case as a guide"