Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-09
RAIL WAY WORKERS
GIVEN WAGE RAISE
OF S3OO,0OO,OOO
Commission Urges Advance of
$50 to 43 Per Cent; Largest
Increases to Lowest on
Pay Roll.
TO CUT BIG SALARIES

Washington, MAY o.-The Railroad
Wage Commission. of which Franklin
X. Lane. secretary of the interior, IS
chairman, issued IT'S report late Yesterday,
in which the recommendation WAS made
that approximately 500, 000, 900 he add
cd 10 the annual payroll Of the trans
portation lines under government control
in order TO bring the wages Of the more
than 1000. 600 employees 10 level to
meet the increased cost of living.
The report haS been submitted to
w G.. McAdoo, director general OF
railroads. and it is generally believed
that IT will be adopted with alterations:
Tho increases are to be made rs oi
Jan. |. 1918. They are figured on a
sliding scale of from $50 per cent To 4"
rer cent of the wages received by EN-
nloves on Dec 81, 1915, and the increase
Is 10 be added to the wage received by
the employc at that time
Increases granted since Dec. 81. 1918,
are to be included IS part at the m
creascs now granted. The largest IN
,reascs gu to those who receive the
lowest wages and on thus theory all oi
the findings Of the commission arr based
The suggestion is made by the com
mission that All high-salaricd officials
10 the operation of the railroads be
,lroprod from the pavrols and that the
sala, "a Of many retained be suhStan
TALLY ra IlIccd The inference Is plainly
written in the report that the conmiS-
SION believes too many high salaries are
besnr paid to n certain class OF oihClalS
All OF the employees of the railroads
ard carriers by water under the !ur1s-
d,cfion OF the railroad administration
are included in the recommendations
LABOR DISTURBANCE AvERTED-
The rrYnr1, hints strongly at the fact
e,at q serious disturbance OF labor,
which actually threatened 70 hamper
The trfnSportation lines. was faced when
the government took control last De
e,snber. and that this danger may have
been a factor IN bringing action 1T that
time. Fmpioyrs made heavy demands
then ,rr,un the railroads under private
oxrr1stnr. How heavy these demands
were the commission does not say, but
4 gives some mixing by admitting that
the ernploves hsd LAID requests before
DE commission which If granted would
, hxyc added not less than 81 900 WN.tN
! 10 the annual psyrolls.
Ii Is generally accepted here that the
~,sfroad administration viii ask for
Substantial increase N passenger rates,
:, meet the wage increases and the re-
dr>ced earnings OF the transportation
hnes since the government assumed
control. THIS drop m earnings has been
heavy. due n part to the weather con-
6itinns In January and February. Earn
nES for Ap<d, IT rs sand, viii show a
beaded irHrpvcment, however.
The wage increase report WAS cxhaus-
five. The commission brought pronI-
nently 10 the front q statement that Il
believed an increase was deserved by
the railroad employees and that those
receiving low wages should receive the
major part of the benefits Ii Also re
c,uInted the details of an investigation
INTO the increased oosf OF living, which
had determined that the purchasing
value of a dollar had dropped 70 about
II cents.
One Of the most striking statements IN
The report. which dealt with the neces-
sity of large increases for those receiving
low wages, reads:
GIVE 10 HIM THAT HATH NOT.
"There is high authority for saying
that TO him that hath shall be gwen.
but from hun that hath not shall be
taken even that which he hath. ms
diCtum as TO the way OF the world we
take to have been the recognition OF i
fact, not the Endorsement Of an ideal
And the plan we recommend Is an eA-
preston OF the reverse policy
ave take from no man that which
he hath, insuring him as much as ne
has now for no wages are to be low
ered). but we would add materially TO
the find OF those who have the least.
And NJ these there are many
1T has been q somewhat popular
impression that railroad employees were
among the most highly paid workers
But figures gathered from the railroads
disposed OF thus belief Fnty-one per
cent OF all employees during December,
1917, received s75 per month. or less
than 50 per cent received 500 per
month or less.
Even among the locomotive engi-
neers, commonly spoken Of as highly
paid, a preponderating number receive
less than $40 per month. and this COM
pensation they have attained by the
most compact and complete organiza-
ton. handled with full appreciation of
all strategic values. Between the grades
receiving from $50 to $3.50 per month
there IS included less than > per cent
of all the employees excluding Off
claISj. anu tHt9t dSSi' "a - i'o7 liidI
10000 men, out Of grand total Of >
100000
The advances range from 4 IS per cent
TO those receiving monthly wage .iu
December. 1918 Of SZ39.Ol 10 $40 to as
per cent TO those then receiving from
$500 to $50 All vino were then re-
ceiving over $40 will he increased ID
s240
EMPLOYEES who have received increases
since Dee. 81, 1915, however. vii re-
ceive the increases now recommended