Evening journal., 1918-05-27
S3O0.00O,0O0 WAGE
RAISE FOR R. R. MEN
Order Covers2 Million Men:
Increases Effective Next
Saturday
EQUAL RATES GO
TOsWOMEN WORKERS

WASHINGTON, May 27.--General pay
Increases for nearly two million rail-
road employees were announced last
night by Director-General McAdoo, ef-
fectiye next Saturday and retroactive to
last January 1. carrying out substant-
Tally recommendation OF the Railroad
Wage Commission. The aggregate Of
the increases probably will be more
than $500 10000 & year, half OF which
viii be distributed within few weeks
as back pay In lump sums ranging from
about st00 20 nearly $500 each
The Dlrector-General departed from
the Wage Commissions recommenda-
tions in the following particulars:
The principle Of the basic eight~hour
day is recognized, but owing to ex-
igencles Of the war situation. hours Of
employment are not actually reduced
and overtime Is 10 be paid pro rata; (;
future adjustments OF pay are 10 be
made on the basis Of eight hours.
In addition TO the ordinary scale Of
increase, day laborers, employed main
~ on track work. are TO get at least
si1 cents an hour more than they re-
ceived last December 81.
A minimum OF 81 cents an hour is
established for, the shop trades. includ-
line machinlsts, boilerrnakers and black
smiths, and women are TO receive the
same pay as men for the same work
snd Negroes are 10 get the same as
white men for similar employment.
To work out q multitude Of inequali-
ties OF pay among employees doing SINH
lar work Ia different localities. and other
liniustices caused by varying rules Of
employment and condition OF organiza-
tion, the Dlrector-General' created new
board OF railroad wages and working /
conditions, consisting OF three labor |
representatives and three railway |
executives, which viii conduct extern
sive Investigations and recommend wage /
and other employment changes.
All increases now ordered will be de- /
termined according TO 8 percentage |
scale based on pay received In Deoem-
Der, 1916, and any increases which have /
been allowed within that time, will be
deducted. In many cases raises In pay /
In the last two and half years are |
about equal 10 the increases now ap- /
proved, and consequently these en- |
ployes will get little or no more. To
correct just such situations when in
justices are apparent will be one Of the
principal duties OF the new wage board,
whose creation was suggested by the
railroad wage commission. In no case
sre wages 10 be reduced.
Men working on the monthly, daily,
hourly, piece work and train mile
basis will beneht by the new allow
ances and members Of the four leading
railway brotherhoods whose pay was
raised through operation OF the Adam
son act are 10 receive from 10 to 40
per cent. additional, a smaller increase
than they had asked OF railroads short
ly before the government took control.
The wage order applies TO all en-
ployes OF the i64 roads now under Fed
eral management but not 10 the So
called short lines unless they are re-
ta!ned by the government after July 1.
II affects employees Of terminal, union
station, and switching companies, light
ers, ferries and tugs owned by railroads,
but not employees OF railroad boat lines
on the lakes, rivers or cOastwise trafflo.