Evening star., 1949-11-16
Capital Transit Says
Lower Living Costs
Don't Justify Raise

Sdplto1 o1lto1G W. SoAA
tended before an arbitration board
today that a decline in the cost
of living would not justify the
wage increase of Is cents an hour
asked by the transit workers.
HaWley Simpson. company
spokesman. presented an array of
statistics to claim that its en-
ployes had benefited by substan-
tial wage raises over the past
decade and should now be granted
no further increase.
Furthermore. Mr.. Simpson in
sisted, the wage agreements and
arbitration awards in transit COM
panies throughout the country
this year had been steady de-
creasing in size month by month.
The five-man arbitration board,
sitting at the Hamilton Hotel, may
conclude its hearings next week.
but an award probably will not
be reached by it until 10 days or
two weeks after the hearings
close.
Report Gives Figures.
The figures on wage negotla-
tions and arbitration awards were
submitted in a report from the
American Transit Association and
included action up to November 4.
The wage increases granted
ranged from an average of 1925
cents in January to 3.3 cents to
November 4. A few companies in
the list where wage negotiations
were concluded showed no in
crease in wages.
Mr.. Simpson insisted that the
board should take into considera-
tion the decrease in the cost OF
living since the last contract, be-
cause the union in. previous cases
had always claimed wage in
creases were justified because OF
the increased cost of living.
Board Chairman Alfred H. Col
by replied on this point. that is
one factor which will be taken
into consideration"
Among the many exhibits pre-
sented by Mr.. Simpson was a
chart which he interpreted as
showing in the last 10 years the
cost of living had risen here by
66 per cent but that wages Of
transit workers had gone up 201
per cent.
Living Standard Seen Up.
"The standard of living of COM
pany employees" the company
spokesman said, "has been con-
sistently better. Betterment Of
their standard Of living can take
place due to a decline in the cost
of living"
j. E. Heberle, company vice
president, late yesterday laid
before the board several exhibits.
They showed, among other things,
that streetcar and bus operators
had received during the last con-
tract year. an average of $1.44 an
hour for so-called platform time.
The company had added, however,
he said, extra payments to bring
the total hourly platform cost up
to $1.911a.
Average earnings of 2,164 op-
orators, Mr.. Heberle said, were
So, ,339 in the contract year ended
last June 80. The men ranged
from a group of 81 operators who
earned an average of $4,619 work.
ing 4.8 days a week. to a group of
lis who earned an average of
81 ,548, working an average Of 81
days a week.
Benefits Listed.
Increases in the pay and collat-
eral benefits to operators between
1910 and July /, 1948. Mr.. Heberle
said, included the following:
Top hourly rate raised from 70
cents in 1910 to $1.45 in 1913;
vacations from one week after
one year service in 1910 up to
one week after one year, two
weeks after three years and three
weeks after Is years; from no
paid sick leave in 1910 to seven
days year, cumulative to IS
days: from no company pensions
to $50 a month at IS years Of age
after Is years of service, in addi-
ton to social security benefits;
increases in kinds of overtime
paid, and other benefits.
Union Counsel Ely Oliver. during
cross-examination of Mr.. Heberle,
went into financing of the COM
pany yesterday afternoon in an
effort to show the company was
not disclosing as much financial
progress as it really had made.
The company has claimed wage
increases are not justified on the
basis of company earnings.
Tax Refund Used.
Mr.. Heberle, explaining how a
Federal tax refund had been used.
along with company cash, to re-
| fire $3 s1O. 600 of a S12. 500 .OOO