The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-05-09
RAIL WORKERS
GET RAISE OF
800 MILLIONS
FROM BOARD
All Employees Whose Wages
Were Less than $3.50 a
Month in December, 1915,
to Be Benefited.
M'ADOO MAY NOT SIGN
fBy Associated Pressl

WASHINGTON. May 9.--ln recon-
mending wage increases of 5000, 0,00O,-
900 annually for all railroad employees
whose wages were less than $3.50 a
month in December. 1915, the railroad
wage commission made several orig
inal and far reaching suggestions on
the problem Of railroad labor which
attracted the close attention today of
Director General McAdoo and other
government officials
Mr.. McAdoo is expected 10 announce
his decision on the recommendations
In about ten days. There are indica-
tions that he will not accept them in
their entirety. Some union officials
already have expressed dissatisfaction
with the amounts recommended for the
men OF their organizations, the in
creases ranging from 43 percent down
ward to 4.6 percent, the highest paid
men receiving the lowest increases
and average being 15.021 percent ad-
vance over the 1917 payroll.
Perhaps the provision of the recon-
mendations likely to encounter most
strenuous objection is the one that all
wage increases allowed by the roads
In 1916 and 1917 shall he deducted
from the amounts now to be given.
The commission declares that its con-
clusions were based on principle.
which was that The men were entitled
to recompense for the increased cost
Of living. and in basing its recommen-
dations on the payroll Of December,
1915, in comparison with present prices
OF necessities, decided that it would
be unfair to allow certain employees
who already had received wage ad-
vances. to benefit twice.
Not Increases In Pay
The commission declares in its re-
port that reduction in hours are not
to be regarded as increases in pay. a
stand frankly at variance with high
railroad officials. who during the hear
ings asserted that the Adamson 8-hour
law was In effect m increase IN pay,
because the overtime resulting was ia--
evitable and amounted to many mil
Hons OF dollars In money.
Requests for an eight hour day for
all railroad employees and for time and
half for overtime were not acted on
by the commission.
AT the outset of the hearings" the
report says, 1T was manifest that the
matter OF hours Of services is lodged
deep in labor's mind A standard day
OF reasonable limited length is AS
much part OF the measure Of justice
with the workingman as is his rate CT
wage.
1T would be a splendid achievement
IL We could at this time crystalize the
experience Of the world into a conclus-
ion concerning the length Of the work
day that would be of universal applica-
ton.
This is Not the Time.
But this is not the time. in the judS-
ment of the commission. to make ex-
periments which might lessen the out.
put Of that commodity which railroad
men productions of freight hauled.
and numbers OF passengers carried.
The one thing now imperative Is vol
ume Of and speed in railroad output.
Since the commission's work began, as
before, our needs as a nation. and the
vital needs of those nations with whom
we are allied have been imperilled by
the shortcomings of our transportation
system. There Is no one who wishes
to risk a repetition of this condition
The railroad employees have asked
for the shorter day. saying frankly that
they did not wish an increased rate
for overtime save as means of COM
pelling the observance OF shorter hours
"a penaliZing of the employers for
too 'ong work day. At this time.
however. to penalize the government
for working its men as long as they
have been in the habit of working un-
Continued on Page Twelve.)