The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-08
Sec. McAdOO FavOrs Recon-
mendatiOn for Advance
of Quarter Billion
AVERAGE ADVANCE
TWENTY PER CENT
Freight Rates and Passenger Rates to
Be Increased to Absorb the Addition
al Expenditures Necessary to Meet
Change in Pay

WASHINGTON, May S.-Director-
General McAdoo will announce soon his
decision on recommendations of the
railroad wage commission, which were
said in well informed quarters to pro
pose an average 20 per cent advance in
pay for all classes of railroad en-
ployes. If Mr.. McAdoo follows the sug
gestions of the commission approximate.
ly S26O,0O0,00 will be added to the
payrollss of the nation S railroads.
Strong pressure is said to have been
brought to bear ON the director general
To modify some of the commission s
recommendations especially affecting
the four great brotherhoods. Mr.. Nc
Adoo is not bound to follow the advice
of the commission and can increase or
reduce their recommendations as he sees
fit.
The commission has followed its an
nounced policy Of giving the highest
paid unions the lowest rate of advance,
holding that relief is needed most by
the men who have been barely making
ends meet or perhaps going in debt on
the wages they received.
Apparently none of the commission :
recommendations has met the requests
/ of the unions themselves which ranged
as high as 40, 30 and 80 per cent
! Aside from the wage question the
! commission has made little effort to
take up all the grievances presented to
it, on the ground that it was appointed
primarily to consider only questions of
8pay. The eight hour day, however, in
volving large sums, was given close at
/ teution because Of The fact that some
classes of employees now work on such a
basis while most of them do not
A majority of the commission is said
to have felt that the eight hour day
should not be made universal for rail
/ road employees while the war is in prog
rcSs, fearing 10 upset transportation
and necessltate the expenditure of large
sums in addition to the increases sug-
sested. It is said the commission has
urged that after the war the eight hour
day be extended and made the basis
of employment of all classes of railroad
workers.
\ schedule of sweeping freight
rate and passenger fare increases
on the railroads of the eoun.
try to absorb the heavy addi-
tional expenditures necessary to meet
increases in wages recommended by the
railroad wage board is being prepared
by the railroad administration.
No official action has been taken by
Dwector-General McAdoo. but there i,
little doubt that tariffs being prepared
win he filed with the interstate com
meree commission providing for the in
creases necessary to absorb the wag,
increase.
With the government operating tn,
railroads and guaranteeing earnings tn,
public must take up the burden eithe
in rates or taxes Railroad Official
mold the view that it is only fair tina
the shippers who get the service SHOULD
q pay and distribute the cost if neces
: sarv to those directly benefited by tn
I railroad service.
2 without compensating increase il
rates the government undoubtedl,
, would have to pay large sum to max
/ up the resulting deficit in railroad earn
ingS.