The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-11-10
lTNRMs On SUBSCRIPTION:
CHEERING ANNOUNCEMENTS.

A few days ago the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company ordered an advance
ri ten per cent, in the wages Of all
tie permanent employees of the com.
pany who receive less than 5000 a
month. The increase takes effect De,
cember first and applies to all lines
81 the road The Pennsylvania aud
afillated companies employ about
10000 men. OF these about $4,000
WIN participate in the wage increase.
This will involve an addition of some
Si2,0O0,0OO to the pay rolls of the var.
icus companies, the Pennsylvania it.
self contributing nearly $S,5OO,OOO of
the total.
The Pennsylvania in 1902 awarded
an increase of ten per cent. to all
employees receiving less than 5000
month. Thus, the present readiust-
I. nent will be equivalent to total ad-
tiIion OF twenty per cent. to the rates
paid in September. 1902. In many
cases 1t will represent an extra in
crease, for re-adtdstments Of wages
Of special classes Of employees have
been made since 1902. Even as recent.
~ as October LIST Of this year a m NTH.
" total of S3O,733, or S36S, 796 year,
was added to the salaries and wages
Of 1,05S men principally telegraph op.
srators. The new order applies to
them quite as completely as to other
employes within the 5000 a month
class.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany has never made general reduc-
= ton Of wages since May, 1877, When
because of riots and other troubles,
reduced earnings made a ten per
cent. decrease necessary. This wng
restored in March, 1880, however, and
Pennsylvania employees have since
that time enjoyed constant anu un.
diminished wages, in spite of bust.
ness depressions which have on a nun.
Der OF occasions caused reductions by
many corporations, both railroad aud
industrial.
The present increase Of wages rep.
8 resents another step in the Pennsyl
yania's policy of liberaltty toward
those with whom it deals. AS regards
the public, the company announced
lin August its plan to issue a transfer.
able mileage book and to reduce It's
maximum rate of fares to 21s cents a
mile. To shareholders the directors
oI osembsf 1stE decdedtto Increase
the rate Of dividend from 6.to per
cent. per annum. Now to he en-
ployes comes the award Of an increas.
ed share in the company's earnings.
The action of the Pennsylvania Rail- /
road Company s board will be follow
ed by similar action on the, part Of
the various lines west OF PittsDurg.
which are included in the Pemsy;yan-
ia system. At the present time the
Pennsylvania company, operating the
5o'thwest System. employees Bile.
men, and pays out s17l7S,SG3 in wag-
es annually. The Plttsburg, Clncin.
natl, Chicago and st. Louis railway,
or the Southwest System, employees
21,630 men and pays out 12,S5G,013 !.
annually. The other controlled lines
which will make like increase are
the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley
railroad with 749 employees and pay.
roll of $S9S,5S1 per year the Vandalia
railroad, with 5,l12 men and ANIMAL
wages and salaries of $S,527,741; the
Grand Rapids and Indiana railway
which pays S1,S14,O13 to 1855 men;
aud the Cleveland, Akron and Column
bus railway with payroll of $7OS,-
40s7 to 1926 men,
In all the lines, therefore, there
are G2,51S men drawing $3G,477, 1898 in
wages and salaries. All of these do
not come within the "S20O or more per
month class, so that tn eotaI increase
win not be ten per cent. above this
sum, although it will closely approx.
mate it.
Only yesterday the Standard OH
Company announced an increase of
ten per cent, to Its thousands of emf.
ployes end it is confidently expected
other large railroad companies and
corporations will follow the lead of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
and the Standard Oil Company. Truly
these are prosperous times and the .
elections of Tuesday have had slim.
plating effect on business everywhere. i,
Republican policies and prosperity
seem TO go hand in hand.