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Show MEN PRESENT WAGEDEMNDS MAINTENANCE OF WAY EMPLOY-EE8 EMPLOY-EE8 PETITION FOR AN INCREASE IN-CREASE IN WAGES Recognition of Basle Eight Hour Day and Overtime Pay la Asked by Brotherhood. Hearing Is now Being Held - Chicago. Hearing by tho railroad labor board was becun Monday on a potltion of tho United Brotherhood ot Maintenance ot Way Employees and Ilallroad shop laborors on moro than 100 railroads asking an Increase ot minimum wages trora 23 conts to 48 cents an hour, a virtual domand for recognition ot a basic eight hour day with time and one-halt for ovortkno. Tho submissions ot tho union woro expocted to bo predicated upon tho relation oxpocted to bo shown botwoon I minimum wages and tho minimum cost of living and It was reported tho union leaders plannod to urge amond. jnont of tho transportation act to In-cludo In-cludo a definition of tho basis for computation com-putation of tho minimum cost of living tor railroad workers. Tho first opposition to tho union's submissions camo when Biz eastern railroads rofusod to rocognlzo tho union's appeal on tho ground that railroad shopmen, Including somo of the maintenanco men were on strike Senator Cummins has publicly declared de-clared that it Is the intent ot tho law to glvo tho humblest worker tho right to a living wage, and, In ordor to avoid any posslblo misunderstandings or Interpretations ho had propared and would submit an amendment to tho law clearly setting forth this pur. pose of the law's guidance of tho labor la-bor board. "Our money earnings havo not boon sufficient to enable our mombers to .support themselves and their families on the basis ot comfort and docency," I said Prost. E. F. Gablo of tho rallmen. I "The so-called American standard ot I living has boon practically unknown I among ourpeoplo. We havo lived on L. tho lovol ot moro subsistence." SB After an hour's discussion of the llv- ' Ing wage as a basis for the work ot tho board for tho present case and for an amendmont to tho transportation net, Gable outlined his Ideas on tho eubJocL No specific demands wero mado upon up-on tho roads in tho negotiations to date but Grabel said that ho will ask not only for a roturn of tho 5 cont cut mado offectlvo by tho board on July 1, but an increase above that scalo. Grable and his vice-president, J.C. Smock, handled tho presentation ot tholr case. Thoy wero nrmod with n voluminous govornuent records show. Jfe ing tho upward trend ot tho cost ot yJI living and tho rates of wages paid wf common labor In other Industries. B The railroad, It Is bollvod, will not H sorlously epposo a restoration of tho last cut mado by tho wage board. Tho 1 fight will center on any substantial I increaso over tho scale In offocton 1 July 1, which was 28 to 40 conts por n hour. Tho present scalo Is 23 to 35 B conts. |