EASTERN DISTRICT Class I railroads in the eastern district in the first 2 months of 1951 had an estimated net income, after interest and rentals, of $4,000,000 compared with a deficit of $9,000,000 in the same period of 1950. For the month of February alone, their estimated deficit, after interest and rentals, was $16,000,000 compared with a deficit of $16,000,000 in February 1950. Those same roads in the first 2 months of 1951 had a net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, of $28,794,460 compared with $13,709,911 in the same period of 1950. They experienced a deficit in net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, of $2,884,709 in February compared with a deficit of $3,178,359 in February 1950. Operating revenues of the class I railroads in the eastern district in the first 2 months of 1951 totaled $695,917,874, an increase of 28 percent compared with the same period of 1950, while operating expenses totaled $583,168,582, or an increase of 23.1 percent above 1950. SOUTHERN REGION Class I railroads in the southern region in the first 2 months of 1951 had an estimated net income, after interest and rentals, of $18,000,000 compared with a net income of $11,000,000 in the same period of 1950. For the month of February alone, they had an estimated net income, after interest and rentals, of $6,000,000 compared with $5,000,000 in February 1950. Those same roads in the first 2 months of 1951 had a net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, of $22,992,145 compared with $18,527,902 in the same period of 1950. Their net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, in February amounted to $9,255,928 compared with $8,597,221 in February 1950. Operating revenues of the class I railroads in the southern region in the first 2 months of 1951 totaled $236,320,977, an increase of 23.4 percent compared with the same period of 1950, while operating expenses totaled $179,498,813, an increase of 19.4 percent above 1950. WESTERN DISTRICT Class I railroads in the western district in the first 2 months of 1951 had an estimated net income, after interest and rentals, of $31,000,000 compared with an income of $3,000,000 in the same period of 1950. For the month of February alone, they had an estimated net income, after interest and rentals, of $7,000,000 compared with an income of $3,000,000 in February 1950. Those same roads in the first 2 months of 1951 had a net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, of $44,884,093 compared with an income of $15,418,340 in the same period of 1950. Their net railway operating income, before interest and rentals, in February amounted to $12,587,568 compared with an income of $9,353,386 in February 1950. Operating revenues of the class I railroads in the western district in the first 2 months of 1951 totaled $632,248,738, an increase of 24.7 percent compared with the same period of 1950, while operating expenses totaled $492,638,908, an increase of 16.2 percent above 1950. The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything else? Mr. MURDOCK. Mr. Chairman, during the course of the hearings there have been requests from individuals to appear. There is a request from a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen in California who has expressed a desire to appear. I understand that there are present this morning several individuals who desire to appear as individuals. There is one more witness for the Mediation Board. If we could finish with him this morning, and then recess at the call of the chairman, the committee could take up the advisability of extending hearings further or closing them at this time. I therefore request that we hear the additional scheduled witness and then recess at the call of the chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Who is the witness? Mr. MURDOCK. Mr. Bickers. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Loomis. Mr. LOOMIS. Thank you, gentlemen. The CHAIRMAN. Will Mr. Bickers please take the stand? Raise your right hand, please. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. BICKERS. I do. TESTIMONY OF THOMAS E. BICKERS, SECRETARY, NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD The CHAIRMAN. You are the secretary of the Board? Mr. BICKERS. My name is Thomas E. Bickers, executive secretary of the National Mediation Board. My experience has been as follows: I was with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad commencing in 1911 extending to 1918 in various. capacities, including labor relations work. In 1918 I was transferred to the United States Railroad Administration in Washington as wageschedule specialist and served under Mr. McAdoo's administration during the railroad control. From 1920 to 1926 I served as examiner of the United States Railroad Labor Board, located in the city of Chicago, under the Transportation Act of 1920. In 1926 I was appointed as mediator for the Board of Mediation, which was the original administrative agency under the Railway Labor Act as originally enacted. I served in that capacity until November 1929, when I accepted a position as personnel supervisor of the Pere Marquette Railway, which was a subsidiary of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. In 1933 I was transferred to a similar position with the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, which was also at that time a subsidiary or a part of the Chesapeake & Ohio System. In 1938 I returned to the National Mediation Board as senior mediator, and was later promoted to executive secretary of this Board. At hearing held before your committee on March 7, 1951, pages 526 and 527, volume 6 of transcript, Senator Morse made certain statements relative to the National Mediation Board's functioning and requested that certain information be prepared setting forth the activities of the mediation boards since the enactment of the Railway Labor Act of 1926. I am here to present to the committee a summary which we trust will be sufficient to comply with the expressed desires of the committee. As you are, of course, aware, we are by law required to file with the Congress each year an annual report setting forth the Board's activities, and such reports have been regularly submitted to the Congress. I am sure that you can fully appreciate the impossibility of condensing the varied and extensive activities in the field of labor relations in the vast transportation industry over such a long period of time. I have endeavored to analyze our records over the years and to point out the more outstanding situations in this field. The National Mediation Board is an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States Government. The Board consists of three members appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; their terms are for 3 years; not more than two members shall be of the same political party. The Board selects its own chairman annually, the practice of rotating the chairmanship being usually followed. The act provides that the Board may delegate authority and the executive secretary has, under the Board, been placed in charge of the administration of its affairs. The headquarters of the Board are by law located in the District of Columbia. No field offices are maintained. The entire staff consists of 43 persons including the three Board members and their private secretaries. There are 23 mediators engaged daily throughout the Nation in mediation efforts or in connection with the determination of representation. The number of persons at headquarters, including the members and their private secretaries, is 18. The total appropriation for the operation of the National Mediation Board for the current fiscal year is $412,200. Before analyzing the historical details of the Board's operation, I should like to present the following documents: 1. Pamphlet entitled "Fifteen Years Under the Railway Labor Act, Amended, and the National Mediation Board." The CHAIRMAN. Do you wish to have that made a part of the record? Mr. BICKERS. Yes. Mr. MURDOCK. May that be designated as "Mediation Board Exhibit No. 1?" The CHAIRMAN. It will be received in evidence and marked as "Mediation Board Exhibit No. 1." (The document referred to was marked "Mediation Board Exhibit No. 1" and filed with the committee.) Mr. BICKERS. I should also like to present a statement showing, by years, the personnel and expenses of the United States Board of Medi ation, which was the Board which was in effect from 1926 to 1934, Mr. MURDOCK. May that be marked as "Mediation Board Exhibit The CHAIRMAN. That will be received in evidence and also marked (The document referred to was marked "Mediation Board Exhibit Total expenses for the U. S. Board of Mediation from 1926 to July 21, 1934, $1,668,265. Mr. BICKERS. I should like to present a statement showing by years The CHAIRMAN. That will also be received in evidence and marked (The document referred to was marked "Mediation Board Exhibit Salaries and expenses. Total. 1942-43 1943-44 1944-45 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 1949-50 1950-51 $174, 855 $184, 446 $213, 949 $262, 900 $306, 985 $328, 700 $343, 300 $395, 725 $409,200 50, 0911 125, 2271180, 130 Grand total for National Mediation Board from 1934 to July 1, 1951, $5,256,900. These are actual appropriations for current fiscal year. It is anticipated that not more than $150,000 Mr. BICKERS. I should also like to submit a statement showing the The CHAIRMAN. The document referred to will be received in evi- (The document referred to was marked "Mediation Board Exhibit Total expenses for the U. S. Board of Mediation from 1926 to July 21, 1934, $1,668,265. Mr. BICKERS. I should also like to present a statement showing the The CHAIRMAN. The document in question will be received in evi- (The document referred to was marked "Mediation Board Exhibit 81733-51-52 |