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Show V) Increase In Wage Rates Harminl To Industry Says , Veteran Railroad Man KfJ 'It seems very certain that the rJ tairoad employes, themselves Jv'fl -Jl suffer through an, increase j4 I b basic wage rates," declar-h) declar-h) a V. M. Jeffers, president of V. -ct Union Pacific Railroad Oc-flh'i Oc-flh'i tuber 14 in the course of his testi- tony be.ore tie railroad .vage 5 y -act finding board in session in , f Chicago. . Tae presida.it of tie Union Pacific who has been continu- s-jsly Li the employ of that rail-r rail-r road for 51 years, starting as a janitor and .messenger boy, de-:R de-:R (Jim tlared that he has been con- suLitly on tie job every day , I .or many more hours than those P w J :orrnally usei in any discussion 'v3 I i Lie subject. 'Trom 12 to 16 ,Dij lijurs every day, including Sun- 5"- and holidays," he said, "so actually 1 aave cee.i- worKing on i ft' te or more taan a i-'iundred I eu-.j e peai q, tvie defense move-1 5" r.eil seems to be already here . lir. Jeliers asserted, stating that I : Bins ie traffic curve is flattening ; , . lz tit and that carloadings are de-1 t-easir.,;. j Girl bet ' 'There a 1 r ea d y are indica- i 'iti -Jons o; a decline in the move-;r move-;r xizl a: ordinary com..Tiercial ; image, lais is due, in part, , priorities and the resulting lestrictio.is on Che production of ordinary civilian goods. We do M know ho k far this decline T?l ,!11 go. In fact there is no cer-U cer-U f tainty that the defense traffic MJJJJ tself will contir.ue to move in present Lieavy volume." j A serious situation is facing ' . tt so-called land grant railroads oi tie west, or those which bens be-ns tause of an equalization agree-t;t agree-t;t r I cent with the goverrtmnt, have laid grant rates in effect which live the government greatly ttduced -rates "on the transpor- ijil 'wa of military or maval and fen' 601 ot civil use-" t' ifr. Jeffers explained that the tailroads have construed this Uyll W mean actual military ma-m" ma-m" ;iak, such as ammunition, BjvU-Sd pr.3, or members of the military Foj -orces, soldiers and sailors. How-i, How-i, H'1 r'' the tendency of certain 8ovemment representatives ,07" seyns to include more and more the lend-lease materials under Jie lower land grant rates. " -ili ! this tesnd continues it may ttti mean a shocking loss in reve-S reve-S ou,es to the western railroads. hrW' i- y efort t0 make a 'blanket A frease in freight and passeniger '!,Ql1 ,es wuld' meet 'with igreat re-L1lance' re-L1lance' said Mr- Jeffers, espec-'V espec-'V .from agricultural and lum-interests. lum-interests. ssSJ fyen under what may toe termed normal conditions," he said, "the transcontinental carriers car-riers have found it difficult to maintain fully compensatory rates for the transportation of Pacific Coast perishables. . In fact the carriers in the western district have ai.vays met with determined opposition When they have attempted any increases increas-es in rates on agricultural products pro-ducts i.- order to compensate for increased operating expenses. -Luxber is another Pacific Coast product which must move for long distances in order to reach the principal commercial centers. The lumber producers of Oregon amd Washington are vot able, at the present time, to chin by water to any material extent and must use the rail service. .The freight rates must be relatively low in order to permit the traffic to move in substantial volume. "There are many other Pacitic Coast products subb as canned and drfed fruits, which are also carried at rates Which yield rei atvely low earnings in order to fake care of the needs of industry. indus-try. At the present time tne transcontinental carriers have found it necessary to gram Weled liondingtoaaufof ' tit matter of wages dunug eari 1 thaPtTn"pnitfaf 'he fers declared that m y., car. filial diffioulties of tte depression years. "Any substantial increase in the basic wage rates no," he said "would be harmful to tie industry and would ciheek the progress wihich is now being made in strengthening the railroad rail-road plant aid improving the railroad service. The basic wage rates are as high as the industry can stand at the present time. In view of tihe uncertainties in the traffic and revenue prospects amy increase in the basic rates o. pay would he most unwise." |