Show MEN PRESENT WAGE DEMANDS maintenance OF WAY EMPLOYEE EES PETITION FOR AN INCREASE IN WAGES precognition of basic bade eight hour day and overtime pay to asked by brotherhood hearing Is now being hold held chicago hearing by the railroad labor board was begun monday on a petition of the united brotherhood ot of maintenance of way employees employee and railroad shop laborers on more than railroads asking an increase ot of minimum wages from 23 cents to 48 1408 cents an hour a virtual demand for recognition 11 0 of f a basic eight hour day with time and one halt half for or overtime the submissions of the union were expected to be predicated upon th the relation expected to be shown between minimum wages and the minimum cost of living and it was reported the union leaders planned to urge arg is amend ment of the transportation act to included ot of the basis for computation ol of tile minimum cost ot of living tor for railroad workers the first opposition to the unions submissions came when six eastern railroads refused to recognize the unions appeal on the ground that railroad shop men including some ol of the maintenance men were on strike senator cummins cumming has publicly declared that it is the intent of the law to give the humblest worker the right to a living ft wage age and in order to avoid any possible misunderstandings or interpretations he hail had prepared and would submit an amendment to the law clearly setting forth this pur pose ot of the laws guidance gul dance of 0 the laher labor board our money have ant heen been sufficient to enable our members to support themselves and their families on the basis of comfort and decency said prest irest 13 V F gable able of the hallmen the so called american standard ot of livan living has been practically unknown among aboa amoa our people we e have ha ie efel on the level ot of mere subsistence after an hours hour s discussion ot of tile the living wane wage as a basis tor for the work 0 of the hoard board for tho present case and for an amendment to the transportation act cable outlined his ideas on the subject no specific demands were made up on the roads in the negotiations to date but grabel said that he will ask not only for a return 0 of the ti i cent cut made effective by the beard on july 1 but an increase above abone that scale grable and his vice president J C smock handled the ci ot of their case they were armed with govern lent records showing the upward trend of the cost of living and the rates of paid common labor in other industries the railroad it a believed be lived will not seriously appose a restoration of the last cut made by the wane wage board the fight will center on any substantial increase over the scale in efT eff ecton july 1 which was 28 to 40 cents per hour the present scale is 23 to K 3 cents |