Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-03
PAY SCHEDULES
AGAINST WILSON
Wilcox Shows Figures in
Charging He -'Juggled'
With the Facts


! Washington. D. C,-President Wilson
completely ignores the facts in the
railway controversy in defense of the
Adamson eight-hour bill. according TO
a statement issued by Chairman Will
cox. of the Republican National Com
mittee. Mr.. Wilcox says:
president Wilson absolutely ignores
the question at issue between the rail-
way employees and their employers
when he attempts to defend the rail-
way wage-increasing BILL In his ef-
forts to create the impression that the
men We're starving to curtail their
hours of labor and that what is popu
larry known as the eight-hour day
was involved he ignores the facts The
men were seeking higher wages not
shorter hours. 1t was not a question
of the eight-hour day. and II is hard
TO believe that Mr.. Wilson does not
know that"
! MFR. Wilson said to his audience at
Shadow Lawn on September IS: And
/ so I asked the privilege of consulting
with them (the representatives of the
railroads and their employes). Be
fore I consulted with them of course
made myself acquainted with the points
of the controversy and l learned that
|
demanded an eight-hour day. and that
| in order to make the eight-hour day
work. they demanded that the railroads
pay them one half more for over time
than they paid them for the time in
the regular pay, the men alleging that
/ that was the only way they could OBJ
tain a genuine eight-hour day by max
| ing the railroads any more for the time
beyond the eight-hours than they paid
for the time within the eight hours.
Why They sDid Not Ask For Eight
Hour Day"
"In this paragraph Mr.. Wilson says
he acquainted himself with points at
controversy and then says the men de-
manded an eight-hour day., and that
the railroads pay them one half more
for overtime than they paid them for
time in the regular day Now, say
that the men demanded nothing of the
kind. They did not demand an eight
hour day and they did not demand
one-half more for time in excess OF
eight hours. that is clearly the impress
sion Mr.. Wilson would convey but it
| is not true impression
The men did not demand an eight
hour day because they were willing
to work ten, twelve. fourteen or even
sixteen hours a day and to accept pro
rata for the time in excess of eight
hours, provided the speed basis they
q.
now receives forty cents an hour under
the demands of the brotherhoods for ten
hours. pay for eight hours time would
receive fifty cents instead of forty cents
an hour or four dollars for an eight
hour day instead of for ten-hour day.
\ But according to their demand if any
man worked sixteen hours, the legal
maximum time, and ran 200 miles in
/ that time his pay would amount to only
I ai iCh nr
the entire sixteen hours. The railways
would not be compelled to pay time and
a half or punitive overtime for a single
hour"
Operation of "Overtimc Allowance,
The demand for overtime, with
which Mr.. Wilson juggles in his effort
to mislead the public into the impress
sion that it was for an eight-hour day
with punitive overtime, operates only
when the men are unable to make the
\ agreed speed. The employe is paid
there time or mileage, whichever is
most profitable TO him. If he cannot
make the agreed speed the road must
/ pay punitive overtime, not for the time
I he works in excess of eight hours, but
! for the time in excess of what he would
have worked had the agreed speed been
maintained. For instance, the man who
works sixteen hours and makes 175
tmiles, instead of 200 would be entitled
to pay at the regular rate for fourteen
hours, that being the time required to
run seventy-five miles at the agreed
speed limit of 12H miles an hour. and
for time and a half for the remaining
! two hours The compensation of man
earning fifty cents an hour. therefore,
and making a 175-mile trip in sixteen
hours would be fourteen hours at fifty
cents an hour, seven dollars, plus two
hours overtime at seventy-five cents
an hour, $3.50 or $3.50 in ALL AS Mr..
Wilson states it his pay would be eight
hours at fifty cents. four dollars, plus
eight hours overtime at time and half
I (seventy -five) cents), six dollars, max
/ ing a total compensation for sixteen
hours of ten dollars. OF course, Mr..
Wilson's statement is untrue and the
difference is material"
IF the men had demanded an eight
hour day, with time and one-half or
punitive overtime for all time in eX-
cess of eight hours, there might be
some excuse for Mr.. wilson's effort
to create the impression that what is
popularly known as the eight-hour
day was involved. But that is not what