Show Railroad Executive i Makes Wage-raise Wage Statement The following statement was Is I sued today by C C. E E. E Johnston chairman chairman chair chair- man of the tho Western Association or of Railway Executives es By Dy announcing that they will demand de de- demand mand an un advance In their present wages of 30 per cent over and above A the time ra rates races es established in 1937 1937 and J which are arc the time hl highest hest ever evor paid ald lh time Iho transportation tr em employees of the railways railways runways rail run ways ways ways' those in engine train and ancI yard service are seeking average average- hourly wages 38 per cent higher than they received at time the bight hight of or the tho country's s prosperity in 1939 1931 The They give as one reason the time increasing IncreasIng Increasing ing cost of living The rhe cost of living liv- liv ing In April 1941 1911 as reported by bythe bytho time the Bureau of Statistics U. U S. S Department De Do- of Labor must increase 11 14 per cent tout ev even n to equal that of April of or 1 1920 1029 Therefore measured by hy th the tho cost of living lIving lie he purchasing power of ur their pay pay these those employees are art asking wages 58 68 per cent higher J Continued on page five Railroad Executive Makes Statement Continued from froIn page on ate J than thc they received in 1929 1129 Road Hoad service employees arc are paid a minimum wage for tor each day they work Irrespective of ot the number ot of hours worked This Is done dune on a dual basis balls being either a n wage for tor fora tora a minimum number of or hou hours or for tor fora tora a minimum number of ot miles mUe of ot as assumed assumed as- as train operation Many rany such minimum payments are ma made o for less Ices than three throe hours' hours actual serI ser ser- I vice The Tho earnings at al present for tar engineers who op operate rate Diesel pa passenger passenger pas pas- based upon n lime time act acty act act- actually y worked is 15 as much as 1 00 per POl hour TIll The total compensation of ot train Irain and yard service employees In 1940 1910 was million dollars This announced demand cornea conies at nl a time when the entire nation has bas been asked by the President to too tomake to make a sacrificial effort for tor the Iho national defense It Is to to bo be made by hy the men who are not only b being paid the time highest wages In the tho history of ot American railroads d but i iwho who are also tho the beneficiaries of ol many so called featherbed rules by reason nf ot which they large payments for doing very cry little work wok and In many instances Instance for Cor doing no work at all The Tho statistics of ot the Interstate Commerce Commission show that the miles paid for Cor tho the not run In 1940 1340 were 11 per cent as much muchas as the miles actually run run Business on tho the western lines Hues IS 13 better now than last fast year It la II quite evident however that there Is no economic Justification whatever whatever what what- ever over for the mho demands for hll huge C In Increases In- In crosses creases In to their payrolls n now w being made by hy the tho labor tabor unions and It is II 1 obvious that these demands cannot bo be granted without the most adverse effects upon the western railways and t the a farmers and other producers ers and shippers that they that they serve |