New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
LABOR SHARES GENERAL PROSPERITY

PENNSYLVANIA Railroad. which never does any
thing by halves Early in November this road
announced that. beginning December /. all per-
manent employees lines east of Pittsburg and
Erie receiving less than 5000 month would
receive an increase of 10 per cent This meant
an increase of IS. .435 424 TO the annual payroll.
for about 125,00O we're included In the
order It was promised that about 10000 men
employed the lines west Of Pttt.burg would
also soon receive the same advance. adding
enough TO the total annual increase to make 1t
foot up approximately S12O0OO00 This road
increased wages 10 per cent only four years ago.
So that the wages this line are moro than
20 per cent higher than they were IN 1900.
The Philadelphia &; Reading Railroad Com
pany announced early in November that IN
tended 10 raise the wages of all employees whose
salaries less than $500 a month 10 per
cent. This TO date from November !. and
included about twenty-five thousand persons.
Besides, one of the divisions OF the road
arrangements made for readjustment
OF the basis of computing the hours of duty
which added additional increase to the pay
of one thousand men of about per cent.
The Encouragement of the wage scale Of the
New York Central lines which is now in process
Will result in raising the wages of thirty thou
sand men from to 10 per cent. Train and
yard men. signal men, fremen and telegraph
operators affected. Some OF the increases
went into effect December |. and others will
do January l.
On December / the Norfolk & Western Rail-
road began paying increase Of 10 per cent
in the wages of all its employees receiving less
than $500 month.
The New York. New Haven & Hartford Rail-
road Company, which introduced the two cent
rate for passenger traffic on practically all of
Il
the year raised the wages Of 6.S25 persons in
volvins a total increase in its operating ac-
count of 100000 a year.
The Boston g. Maine road last January added
$4,000 year 10 its expenses by giving three
thousand of its employees increase in salary
II was reported that there would be increases
in the other branches OF the service In the near
future, the policy of the company being not to
grant a general increase 10 all al the same time
but to the different ones at Intervals
II was reported recently that the Union Pa
cifc Railroad had granted increase of 10
per cent to all its employees receiving less than
500 month.
The switchmen Of the different railroads at
Chicago have received advances in wages which
put their pay above that of the same class
of men in the switching district of New York
The recent settlement Of the request of thirty
I'VE hundred yard men in the New York Har-
Dor district for a scale Il par with that of
the Chicago will result in an addition of
more than S5O.OO0 to the operating expenses
of the various railroads terminating at this
port.
The switchmen OF the Chicago Milwaukee &
ST Paul Railroad received advance of IA per
cent and the fremen ~ per cent. while the Chi
cago & Alton road gave its switchmen a rise
Of 13 per cent. beginning with November l.
Aside from the increased pay to it's switch
men. the Long Island Railroad has advanced
the pay Of its $50 firemen l. per cent and its
engineers have received an advance of 30 cents
a day. These advances would cost the road
more than 100000 year
The Atchison. Toneka & Santa Fe road has
taxed itself $4,000 year for the benefit of its
100 station telegraph operators by promising
them 10 per cent of the revenue derived from
the telegraph business which they are called
upon to handle
The Road OF Anthracite" the Delaware.
iackawanna & Western, has been gladdeninr
the hearts OF its engineers. its clerical force and
its ferry employees by granting additions to their
stpends. in some cases equivalent TO 10 per
cent
The station agents and telegraph operators
on the entire system OF the Chicago 6; North
western. approximately 1900 will benefit this
coming year by an advance in their incomes to
the extent of $4,000 a month