MAD TALK OF A RAILWAY STRIKE [To the Editor of
the SPECTATOR.] Sur,—Railway union leaders' strike talk is not justified by the circumstances of the ease: Railway wages are higbi the employment steady, and by no means unhealthy or specially unpleasant Mineri, seamen, docker% shipyard men, 'furnace and steel mill men, are all much worse off than railwaymen.
Between 1907 and 1913 railway wages were much increased and working shifts reduced. When the War was over railway base wage rates were advanced by 100 per cent.; plus some cost of living advances. No other trade. got such an advance. Since cost of living has been much reduced railwaymen have only had a small wage reduction. After the inflation period wages stood as follows : PER CENT. HIGHER MIDDLE OF 1923 THAN MIDDLE OF 1914, (Ministry of Labour Figures.) Per cent. Higher, Railwaymen .. • . .. 125 Miners
65 Engineers ..
45 Ship Platers ..
20 Shipwrights ..
18 Since then railwaymen have only been reduced to a level 117 per cent. above pre-War. Many other sections of labour have had their pay reduced concurrently with the heavy reduction in cost of living, and they have been subjected to vastly more unemployment than railwaymen.
If railwaymen desire to dislocate their service, drive more traffic to the roads, make it increasingly difficult- for the rail companies to raise capital for developments, and worsen their own good conditions, they will take the advice of their mistaken leaders.—I am, Sir, &c., E. T. Goon. Sheffield.
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