Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-06-05

WnOie ana not for the Denent or the
private railroad owners of any of them.
To the extent that savings can be
effected and to the extent that re-
duced prices for the things the rail-
roads must buy can be realized. it will
be the purpose of the director general
to make from time to time appropriate
reductions"
The provision that interstate rates
shall be abolished wherever substi-
tute interstate rates between the
same points exist and that all shall be
raised to a standard national level, de-
yelops the first definite conflict be-
tween powers Of the. federal rail-
road administration and of the state
railroad and public utilities commits
sions which, heretofore have claimed
exclusive jurisdiction over inter-
state rates. Railroad rate agents
will file tariffs containing the new
rates with state commissions as well
as with the interstate commerce COM
mission, but state commissions are per-
mitted no review under the railroad
act.
Low Rate for Veterans.
Exceptions to the three-cent rate are
made for soldiers and sailors, VINO
may travel at one cent mile when
on furlough at their own expense and
for persons attending the national en-
campment of the Grand Army of the
Republic at Portland, Ore, and the
United Confederate Veterans reunion
at Tulsa, Okla. Both of these or
CARNATIONS are permitted rates of one
cent a mile, and for various state
meetings of the veterans two cents
will be charged.
Communication fares, which are raised
ten per cent, are construed to apply
to persons having daily or frequent
occasion to travel between their homes
and places of employment or educa-
tional institutions.
To discourage the use of heavy
sleeping and parlor cars the new or
der provides that the following mini
mum number of tickets should be
bought for drawin.c-. room compart-
ments or sections:
Two adult tickets for drawing
room In a sleeping car; two adult
tickets for a compartment.
One and one-half ticket for a sec
ton; five adult tickets for exclusive
occupancy Of drawing rooms in par
lor car.
Passenger fares by water routes or
by rail and water are to be increased
proportionately with the higher rail
charges.
Excess Baggage Charges.
The basis for computing charges for
excess baggage is to be one-sixth OF
the normal passenger fare, with a
minimum of Is cents per 100 pounds
and minimum collection of % cents
per shipment.
The director general provides fully
for the redemption of tickets and mile
age books purchased before June 10
and rendered invalid after that date
when the higher fares become effec-
tive. Unused portions of mileage books
and unused or partially used tickets
will be redeemed at their original pur-
chase rate.
100000 Get Wage Raise.
General pay increases for nearly
two million railroad employees were
announced by Director General Nc
Adoo, effective June 1 and retroactive
to last January 1, carrying out substan-
TALLY recommendations of the railroad
wage commission. The aggregate of
the increase probably will be more
than $30OOOO,000 a year, half of which
will be distributed within few weeks
as back pay in lump sums ranging
from about 500 to nearly 5000 each.
Scale of Increase.
Train employees, including members
of the leading brotherhoods, will re-
ceive approximately the following pro-
portional increases over 1915 pay, or
their equivalent when pay is based on
miles operated: Passenger engineers,
II per cent; passenger fremen and
helpers, % per cent; passenger conduc-
tors, Is per cent; passenger baggage
men, SO per cent; passenger brakemen
and f1agmen, 40 per cent; freight engi-
neers, Is per cent; freight firemen, and
helpers, 81 per cent; freight conduc-
tors, 20 per cent; freight brakemen
and flagmen, 40 per cent. These men
must aso deduct increases granted
since 1915.
Special rates of pay are provided for
office. messenger and chore boys, and
similar employees under eighteen
years, as follows: Twenty dollars in
crease a month where the pay in De-
cember, 1915, was from $50 to $40 a
month: SIS Increase where the rate
was from $50 to $50 month; $40 in
crease where the rate was less than
$50 month.
Japan has built at Tokyo an astro-
nomical observatory that for size and