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Show SKILLED RAILWAY MEN NEXT TO BE SLASHED A A A A A A A IRE GUTS IN I WAGES PLANNED I BY EXECUTIVES I General Movement to Reduce War Time Scale Now Sweeping Nation REDUCTIONS BASED ON RECENT ADVANCE Chicago and Alton Says Public Can't Stand Present High Rates CHICAGO. March 11. Steps to i bring about reductions In tho wages 1 I of skilled employes probably will be j taken by many railroads throughout 'the country as soon as adjustments ican be mado in the pay of unskilled H iworkers. according to statements of the Association of Hallway Executive. H Such reductions. If made, would be I handled Individually by the various H roads In the sumo manner that pres-ent pres-ent announcements of cuts In pay for I unskilled men now are being made. 'it was said, with no attempt at con- H jcertcd or simultaneous action by the railroads. It became known that the assocla- tion at a meeting in New Haven. Conn.. ion .March 4 adopted a resolution that H r was the sense of the meeting that 1 reductions Iri the pay of skilled em- plr.es were not considered objection-I objection-I able by the executives. The matter then was referred to H the Individual roads. From the labor side little comment H came on the announcements of pro- posed reduction In unskilled em- ployes' wages. It war. said that the I matier would have to eomo before the I 'labor board and that the 11111008' chief ooncern now was to see that the roads acted In accordance with the trans- portation act. I GENERAL MOVE. N10W YORK, March 11. A general I move by the nation's railroads to cut Wartime wafe scales, long forecast by 'rail official.-, appeared to be In full swing today. Following th lead of '.several lines which earlier had an- jnouncod cuts, tho New York Central and Now York, New Haven A: Hart- Iford railroads in the east and virtual- iv every railroad In the west, announc- ed wage reduction yesterday. Fur- tlifM- statements fruin line that have H not announced cuts wcro predicted to- day. H Officials Of various lines today were H arranging conferences with employes in nn effort to reach agreements 011 the Dronosed reductions. B The plans as announced affect only unskilled anil semi-skilled labor. Men engaged In the actual operation of trains, telegraphers and station agents are not Included. Arrangements tor early conferences were reported being mado by tho Santa iv, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul; Chicago & Great Western: Chicago. Hock Island & Puclfic and the Chicago .t Northwestern, all with headquarters at Chicago. Reductions were announced throughout through-out the country with a statement "that changed conditions necessitate changed wage scales." All reductions are based on the federal fed-eral labor board's awards of last July, When a $600,000,000 Increase was granted to 1.800,000 workers. Thce increuses favored for the most part unskilled and semi-skilled labor. I MOV Pt FIC CIS. OMAHA. Neb., March 11. Following Follow-ing a conference between officials of the Union Pacific railroad and head mi the departments of common labor employed by the roads, the rail officers offi-cers decided upon 0 common labor waprc scale reduction of eighteen cents an hour, or from 48 cents an hour to 30 cenlM an hour. It was anuounced last night. This proposal was submitted to the labor heads who "111 In turn submit it to their various organizations. The conference adjourned to meet again March 24. at which time the laborers 'will make known their attitude relative rela-tive to tho proposed reduction The action would affect approxlmatoly 5000 men. In referring to today's conference. W. M Jcffers. general manager of the Union Pacific. Characterized Char-acterized it as "a long but quiet" meeting RATES TOO HIGH. CHICAGO. March 11. The Chicago Chi-cago & Alton railroad will take steps within a short time to reduce tho pay of Its employes. W. G. Plerd. president, presi-dent, announced today. The reductions reduc-tions will be made to bring about an ultimate reduction In freight and pas-engei pas-engei rats, which "now are more than the public can bear, ' Mr. Blcrd said. SWEEPING CITS. CHICAGO. March 11 The Chicago & Great Western railroad, which yesterday yes-terday announced that It would seek conferences concerning wage reductions reduc-tions for Its unskilled employes, today announced that It would propose a twenty per cent reduction for all employes em-ployes of tho road, from tho president down. The Great Western Is the first of the western roads to announce a proposed pro-posed wage reduction for all employes. |