Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-05-30
RAIL MEN GIVEN
RAISE BY NJ ADOO
Director Approves Report of
Wage Body.
WILL TOTAL s30O,00O,OOO
Nearly 100000 Employees Will Re-
ceive Back Pay. Ranging From
500 to $200-Order Effective
June 1.
WILL TOTAL s3oo,ooo,ooo

Washington, May 27.-General pay
increases for nearly 100000 railroad
employees were announced on Sunday
by Director General McAdoo, effective
next Saturday and retroactive to last
January 1, carrying out substantially
recommendations of the railroad wage
commission.
probably will be more than $300,0O0,-
900 a year, half of which will be dis
tributed within a few weeks as back
pay in lump sums ranging from about
500 to nearly 5000 each.
The director general departed from
the wage commissions recommended
ton in the following particulars:
Eight-Hour Day Recognized.
The principle Of the basic eight
hour day is recognized, but owing to
exigencies Of the war situation hours
Of employment are not actually re-
duced and overtime is to be paid pro
rata; future adjustments Of pay are
to be made on the basis Of eight hours.
In addition to the ordinary scale Of
increase, day labOrers, employed main
ly on track work. are to get at least
21@ cents an hour more than they re-
ceived last December 81.
A minimum Of So cents an hour is
established for the shop trades, in
Guiding machinists, boilermakers and
blacksmiths.
Women are to receive the same pay
as men for the same work and ne
groes are to get the same as white
men for similar employment.
To Fix Inequalities.
To work out q multitude of in
equalities of pay among employees do
ing similar work in different lOcali-
ties and other inistices caused by
varying rules Of employment and con-
dition Of organization, the director
general created a new board of rail
road wages and working conditions.
1t consists of three labor representa-
tives and three railway executives,
which will conduct extensive inves-
LEGATIONS and recommend wage and
Olnef employment cnanSeS.
All increases now ordered will be
determined according to a percentage
scale based in pay received in Decem-
Der, 1915, and any increases which
have been allowed within that time
will be deducted.
In many cases raises in pay in the
last two and a half years are about
equal to the increase now approved,
and consequently those employees will
get little or no more. In no cases are
wages to be reduced
Piece-Workers Benefit.
Men working on the monthly, daily,
hourly, piecework and train-mile basis
will benefit by the new allowances and
members of the four leading railroad
brOtherhoOdS whose pay was raised
through operation Of the Adamson act
are to receive from 10 to 10 per cent
additional, smaller increase than
they had asked of the railroads short
ly before the governmSt took control.
The wage order applies to all en-
plOyees Of the 1874 roads now under
federal management, but not to the so
called short lines unless they are re-
tanned by the government after July /.
1t affects employees of terminal
union station and switching compa-
MES, lighters, ferries and tugs owned
by railroads, but not employees of rail
road boat lines on the lakes, rivers or
coastwise traffic.