15 percent wage cut for rail employees necessary, Counsel tells fact finding board. Washington, D.C., Sept. 30. Testifying at the initial hearing of President Roosevelt's fact finding committee today J. Carter Fort, Chief Counsel for the Carriers Joint Conference Committee declared that a 15 percent wage cut for 900,000 railroad employees is necessary to save railroads from disaster. Rail employees have threatened a general walkout if the cut if put into effect. Seated are members of the fact-finding committee pictured left to right: Harry A. Millis, Walter P. Stacy, Chairman and James M. Landis, 9/30/38