70 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND WAGES 
mass of employees were not sufficient to maintain a proper 
standard of living for their families, to reduce rates of 
pay would be violative of the fundamental meaning of the 
law, whatever the conditions might be. The Transporta- 
tion Act, it was claimed, contemplated a “living wage” for 
employees as an irreducible minimum. 
SENATOR CUMMINS’ INTERPRETATION OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION Act IN 1922 
Upon the refusal of the Railroad Labor Board to rule 
upon this interpretation of the term “just and reasonable 
wage” for all classes of low-paid employees, the contention 
was carried by the unions in 1922 to the Senate Committee 
on Interstate Commerce, which had had legislative charge 
of the passage of the Transportation Act in 1920. During 
the course of the hearing, on April 17, 1922, Senator 
Albert B. Cummins, chairman of the committee and one 
of the authors of the Transportation Act, in commenting 
on its labor provisions, upheld the contention of the rail- 
road workers. During the course of the hearing, the fol- 
lowing significant colloquy occurred: 
Senator LaFollette: “In applying the rule of ‘just and 
reasonable’ in wages, as laid down in the Transportation Act, 
Congress adopted the same phraseology as it did in dealing 
with rates.” 
Mr. Lauck: “Yes, Sir.” 
Senator LaFollette: “And commodities.” 
Mr. Lauck: “Yes, Sir.” 
Senator LaFollette: “And omits all regard to the human 
element.” 
Mr. Lauck: “Yes; there are absolutely no human stand- 
ards set forth specifically. I think really the intent of 
Congress”— 
The Chairman (Senator Cummins), interposing: “I think 
the words ‘Just and reasonable’ do embrace that.”