OFFICIAL PUBLICATION INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS,. II .Oi-JJ"l B September, 1920 AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR IN ALL ITS o EPA R T MEN T S II at!.!. II DEVOTED TO THE CAUSE OF ORGANIZED LABOR \1 -r t:Si.A 1\ II 302~ HOUR FIXTURES ARE LIGHTING. HOMES FROM COAST ·TO COAST" We have a dealer's proposition that will interest you. Our prices are low and quality of the best. Catalogue No. 18 free ERIE FIXTURE SUPPLY CO. 359 West 18th St.. Erie. Pa. Blake Insulated Staples BLAKE "3 1<6 4 Size. Signal &. Mfg. Co. BOSTON :-: MASS. Pat. No... 1900 BLAKE TUBE FLUX Pat. July 1906 11 Convenient to carry and to use. Will nut ~ollect dust- and dirt nor ,K'et on tools in kite You can get the snlder­ ina' flux just where you want it and in just the desired quantity. Named shoes are frequently made in non-union factories DO NOT BUY ANY SHOE :\'0 matter what its name, unle!>!> it bears a plain and readable impression of the UNION STAMP All shoes without the UNION STAMP are always Non-Union Do not accept any excuse for absence of the UNION STAMP BOOT AND SHOE WORKERS' UNION 216 ~ummer Street, Boston. Mass. ('.ollis Lovely, General Prell. Charles L. Baine, General'Sec.-Trea". When writing mention The Journal of Electrical Workers and Operators. The Journal of Electrical Workers and Operators • OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE International Brotherhood of Electrical Worken Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and aU Its Departments. OWNED AND PUBLISHED BY fHE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS CRAS. P. FORD, International Secretary, OFFICES: MACHINIST BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. and SPRINGFIELD, ILL. Thi!! Journal will not be held responsible tor views expre••• d by corrupond•• ta. The first ot each month Is the closing date; all copy ·must be in our h&nd. on or betor.. • INDEX. PAGE Chain of Farmer-Labor Co-operative Stores Increase Capital to $500,000 ............ _. 9 Classified Directory ......... 61-64 Correspondence ....................................... .26-38 Court Goes Two Ways................................. 41 Editorial .............................................. 10-20 How New Railroad Rates Affect the Consumer ......... 3- 5 In Memorium .. ~ ..................................... 6- 7 Labor and Conditions of Employment from the Interna- tional Aspect ...................................... 39-40 Labor Wins Big Victories in Primary Elections ......... 40-41 Local Union Directory ................................ 44-60 Local Union Official Receipts .......................... 21-25 Notices .............................................. 8- 9 Who is Responsible? ................................. 41 THE JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS· AND OPERATORS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS .ntered at Sprlngfteld, nl., as Second Class matter "accepted tor mailing at special rate of postage provided tor In Section 1103, Act ot Oct. 3, 1917, authorized on .July 2', 1918. Single Copies, 10 Cent. VOL. SPRINGFIELD, ILL., SEPTEMBER, 1920 XX No.1 SOc per year, in advance How New Railroad Rates Affect the Consumer A statement regarding the effect of the forces of government should be on guard increase in transportation rates granted to see that no unjustifiable burden is im­ 'by the Interstate Commerce Commission posed on the people as a result of the In­ upon prices and cost of living was given terstate Commerce Commission's solu· {lut today by W. Jett Lauck, consulting tion of the financial problem of the rail­ economist for the Railroad labor organi­ roads. zations in their recent case before the An added annual charge of $15 per cap­ Railroad Labor Board. Mr. Lauck's state­ ita or $75 per family seems large, but as ment was as follows: a matter of fact the increase in railroad What the public ought to know is that rates will not mean that much as a direct there would have been no occasion for charge to the individual or to the family. such a large advance in railroad rates. A substantial part of the revenues of the provided the railroads had been and were railroads comes from freight on exports, now efficiently and economically man­ and in that case the increase will be paid aged, provided the water was squeezed entirely by purchasers of those exports out of railroad securities, and provided in other countries. There is also the the railroads were not themselves the very considerable item of the freight on victims of the profiteers in railway equip­ materials and' products of all kinds ment, steel and iron products, lumber, bought by the federal, state and munici­ coal, oil, etc., to the extent of four or five pal governments which is paid through hundred million dollars per year, as taxation. shown by our investigation. Still, there Coal is one commodity the price of is no occasion for alarm in the prospect which will be directly and appreciably in· of an addition of a billion and a half dol­ creased by the advance in freight rates, lars to the annual transportation bill of the increase ranging from 75 cents to the country, wovided this item is not $1.35 per ton, but even that does not make multiplied four or five times before it is a very great difference in the annual bud­ presented to the people for payment. For get of the average family. instance, by no possible computation can The increase in freight rates should the increased freight rates be made to have no appreciable effect on the prices justify an increase of one cent per pound of the vast majority of things which the in the price of meat to the consumer, or ordinary consumer purchases. This is an increase of five cents per pair in the so far the reason that, in the case of pr1ce of shoes or an increase of ten cents almost all ordinary commodities, the cost in the price of a suit of clothes; or an in­ of transportation is at present such a crease of one-fourth of one cent in the negligible item in their selling price that price of a loaf of bread. an increase of even 40 per cent in freight However, the survey of basic industries rates would be an unimportant addition. made preliminary to the presentation of This fact is brought out clearly when the case before the Railroad Labor Board an analysis is made of the selling prices showed that manufacturers, middlemen of almost any commodity in relation to and speculators invariably doubled, treb­ the cost of transportation of such com­ led or Quadrupled increases in labor and modity. Thus, in the average household other cost items and passed them on to budget, meat constitutes one of the most -the public, and it is not unreasonable to important items of expenditure, the' aver­ assume that they will attempt the same age family consuming about 400 pounds prOfitable process in dealing with the in· of meat per year. In 1919, the average crease in transportation costs. Hence wholesale price of meat in eastern cities the l'ublic should be informed and the was about 21 cents per pound, and the 4 THE JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL average retail price almost twice this ably very much less than those men­ much. At the same time, the freight rate tioned as examples, and the freight per pound for a haul of 1000 miles, which charge is therefore considerably less. For is well above the average haul, was less instance, while Minneapolis is the center than seven-tenths of one cent. Even of the flour milling industry, much flour when liberal allowance is made for the is ~round locally and often not subject to other transportation costs entering into transportation by train at all. the final price of meat, such as the haul· The conclusion thereof seems inevit· ing of the cattle to the slaughterhouse, able that .while the increased freight the hauling of feed for the cattle, etc., it rates will place an added burden upon the seems clear that the total transportation consumer, this burden will not be very costs in a pound of meat is at present heavy, provided prices of commodities are not over 2 cents. A forty per cent in­ raised no more than necessary to compen· crease in freight rates, therefore, would sate for the increased freight rates. This add less than one cent per pound to trans­ conclusion is fortified by the fact that, portation costs, and, at the maximum,' in 1919, the total value of all commodities should add no more than the same transported by freight was $119.00 per amount to the retail selling price. ton, whereas the average freight charge In the case of a bulky commodity such per ton was only $2.80, or less than 2.'\6 as flour, the freight costs would be some­ per cent of the value. An increase of what higher than in the case of meat, but even 40 per cent in freight rates would even in this extreme case a 40 per cent therefore add less than 1 per cent to the increase in freight rates should add com­ average value of the total freight car­ paratively little to the cost of manu­ ried. facturing flour and placing it on the mar­ However, there is a solution of the ket. Thus, in 1919, the freight charge problem that would involve no additional for hauling a barrel of flour from Minne­ burden to the general public. The in­ apolis to Philadelphia was only 84 cents, crease in freight rates, it has been esti­ with flour selling at about $14.00 per bar­ mated, will amount to $1,200,000,000 a rel. A 40 per cent increase in freight rate year. Even this large amount is insigni­ would therefore add, as a maximum, only ficant as compared with the excess profits 33 cents to the legitimate cost of a bar­ now being exacted by the basic indus­ rel of flour carried from Minneapolis to tries, and could easily be absorbed by Philadelphia.