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Show MIL EMPLOYES j ASK INCREASES I I I Clerks and Station Men Say I Wages Are Under Decent Minimum CHICAGO. Nov 24. (By The As-0 As-0 . ted Press.) Railroad clerks, freight handlers and station employes are unable to maintain a proper standard stand-ard of living, B, H Fltzcerald. president presi-dent of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Hand-lers, Express and Station Employes, told the T'nlted States labor board Thursday In the hearing of the application appli-cation of that organization against -II railroads for increase In rates of pay. Ho based this assertion on the hud-get hud-get compiled in 1920 by the United States bureau of labor statistics, whh b placed the minimum for a family of flvo at $l.96.8S a year. This, he said, established a minimum living wage, t OSTS OOMJPARED. "With the purchasing power of Wages eight per ecnt IMS than it was in 1895, measured by retail food 1 pnri'H, me ;t r:iRe yeaiiy wuki's 01 thc three classes of railway clerks is 91,897.76 or 5559 12 a year less than 'the budget cost of living," he said Tho increase of approximately 20 ipcr cent granted In 1920 virtually has I been wiped out by the reductions of July 1921. and July. 1922, he argued Ip addition' to this, figures were presented pre-sented to show that wholesale food prices had Increased four per ,-ent belt be-lt ween October 12 and Novcmlx-r 11 of this year. "Railroad managements,' 'he declared, de-clared, "are concoaling a large part of their net earnings while protesting lofcalnst granting their men wages suf-jficlent suf-jficlent to maintain a minimum stand 'ard of living. Despite propaganda the roads now are In excellent financial Icondltlon. MITCH BUHjDING WORK. "Forty-eight representative railroads rail-roads have managed to hang on to iprofits by putting them back into equipment, track and ballasting audi other improvements of a permanent character. During the first seven months of 1 922. 60 American railroads spent more than $100 0O0.UO0 in over-maintenance. over-maintenance. 'General business conditions, upon which the roads are closely dependent depend-ent have shown marked improvement during tho last few months The heavy traffic now moving will probably prob-ably show little. If any. abatement, at least In the near future." The hearing Is expected to continue through the remainder of the week. |