Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-03-27


This means that on a 10-hour work
day, which is the basis upon which our
schedules are framed, the newer and
lesser experienced men get $3.50 per
day for full days work of ten hours,
and the older and more experienced
men get maximum of $3.40 per day,
for the same labor. AS compared with
the wages of which 1 have spoken. of
Is years ago, 1t Is high: 1t Is $3.50
against $3.50, minimum. 1t Is $3.40
against $22O, maximum. But every
body knows what has happened to
the cost of living In the intervening
period what is of most account at the
present time.
This statement which I have pres
ented shows clearly that 1t Is out OF
le power of the company to raise these
wages further at the present time,
unless help Is given. But If help OF
the character have spoken Of Is CIV
en-, and If this further wage scale, of
which l am now about to speak, COM
mends itself to the Board and an al
lowance Is made for it, 1t will be put
into effect.
The proposed wage scale Is an In
crease of two cents per hour, so that
the minimum wage will be three dol
lars per day, and the maximum 36
cents per day, or IS, I am not sure
which, with a certain arrangement of
rewarding the older men in another
way, that will put them practically on
basis of the two-cent raise.
Mr.. Wakelee: Per hour, instead of
per day?
Mr.. McCarter: Per hour, of course,
don't know that this rate of wage
will. in these times, draw to this prop
erty the labor the tra1nmen labor, that
we should have for 1t, for the proper
operation of the property. 1t is diff
f1cult to say, when industries all about
us are paying five dollars and six dol
lars, when the commonest kind of lab
or Is receiving three dollars or more
per day, when ship yards in our very
midst are paying seven and eight dol
lars per day for labor no more skilled
than should run these cars, 1t is d1f-
f1cult to say what rate of wage Will
attract the men. But we do know we
have great difficulty to get men, and
especially men of q proper class. We
do know that our service has been very
much interfered with and complicated
this winter, in addition to all the clim-
attic conditions, by lack of men. The
daily record will show an average or
from SO to 10 cars with no one to op-
crate them.
1t is the desire of everybody con-
nected with our company, as far as
know, not to grind down the labor,
but on the other hand. to pay a good
living wage commensurate with the
work involved, and sufficient to at
tract to the property the kind Of men
that will operate the cars in the best
manner possible, and as result
Mr.. Van Winklc: Pardon me. VIII
you please state If the s635,000 Is
based on a 12-months period, or just
on the rest of 1918 to come?
Mr.. McCarter: 1t is based on
12-months period and as result, give
the public better service.
Gentlemen, after all, the test OF this
whole matter Is good service. 1t isn't
what I, or any other individual may
make from the property; but will the
service given be efficient; will 1t en-
able the company to perform Its func-
tions in this unprecedented time, and
will the rates of pay be sufficient to at
tract the proper operating help to the
company, and will the return be suf-
ficient to draw to the company the
new capital that Is an absolute neces-
sity If the property Is to develop?
OF this $635,000 of suggested In
crease In wages, and I am talking
about q delicate matter. and I want
there to be no misunderstanding
about 1t in the minds of the Commits
sion, and in the minds of our adversar-
les or In the minds of our own men, -
Mr.. Van Wrinkle: We have no men,
tai state at all, Mr.. McCarter. Leave
us out.
Mr.. McCarter: We haven't got the
money on the present showing to make
these increases.
Our hands are tied. We honestly
believe they should be made. We will
make them If the basis, the substan-
tial basis of this allowance that we
are asking for and these figures is
given, together with this special fund
for this special purpose. OF this $685.
900, $275,714 of 1t Is for trainmen's
pay; the balance, or $360,000, Is for
other operatives of the labor class
connected with the operation Of the
railway, such as shop employees, and
all the rest that goes into the opera
ton of a railroad of this character,
below the overhead or below the sup
erintendent scale.
1 have here letter, a report to me
prepared by Mr.. Danforth, Vice
President and General Manager,
which contains this information,
which he can swear to in as much
detail as occasion may require. l
have stated it generally, and 1 believe
it to be the absolute fact.
If that item is allowed, 1t increases
the deficit on the basis Of q year from
$2,601,69S.1S to s3,237,412.1S. That
sum net to us would put us back on
the 1916 basis, but that sum gross to
us, will not put us back on the 1916
basis, for the reason that on all our
revenue we have to pay franchise
taxes of five per cent. gross and on
the net revenue, under the new addi-
tional war taxes we have to pay 6
per cent. of the net. So that to put
us back into the quasi state of health
we We're in 1916, to which 1 have
before referred, will add to the sum 1
have given, for franchise taxes, $685.
504.0S, and for Government income
taxes, s101,55743, making q total of
s257, 7,061.51, which added to the last
foregoing figure of deficit, gives a
total deficit to put us back exactly
on the 1916 basis of $3.494, ,473.69.
Parenthetically and purely by way
of passing interest, and not for the
purpose of request in this proceeding,
have a statement here that shows
the same figures except that in the
end the return Is estimated at eight
per cent. upon the existing capital
stock of the railway company, and 1t
shows. to produce that figure upon
the otherwise same basis, would re-
quire a total increase of revenue for
the railway company of $6,176,52009.
Both of these statements are pre-
pared on the basis of a years opera
ton. Three months of this year have
it will take some weeks to finish this
irtr II ait1er