The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-06-11

Washington, June 1.-THE 2,OOO,-
600 employees of the railroads are still
puzzled about that raise in pay grant
ed them by Director General McAdoo.
They know that it totals something
like $3O00000 900 and is retroactive to
last Jan. /; that it recognizes the
basic principle of the S-hour day, but
that owing to the war, hours of en-
ployment are not actually reduced,
overtime pro rata being paind In
stead; that day laborers employed on
track work are to get at least 21s
cents an hour more than last Deem
Der; that minimum of 55 cents an
hour is established for the shop
trades; that women are to receive
the same pay as the men where they
do the same work; and that negroes
are to get the same as white men for
the same job.
They know that mendrawng under
SAG month on Dec, 81, 1915, get a
fiat raise of 500 over that figure, and
that men from SAG up get amounts
varying from 43 down to 456 per cent
of their wages. the bigger increases
being given to the men with the
smaller wages They know compar-
atively the same scale of percentages
appies to the men who work by
piece, by hour or by train miles. But
the railroad men don't know how the
scale works. So here are a few ex-
amples which will show them how it
figures out.
The telegrapher who holds the
same position now that he did Dec.
81, 1915, and who then received SIS
a month will receive an additional
wage of $3O75 If in the past two
years he has received an increase OF
$40 a month. his net advance now
will be $2075 In other words, he
will hereafter draw $10575 and in
addition, will get five months back
pay at the rate of Spots a month,
or $103.75 in all.
Sectionman Smith is employed in
1918, but was not workin 1915. The
rate of pay on the division where he
is working was in 1915 $1.10 a day
of u hours, seven days a week. The
1918 rate of pay is $3.50 day for
the same hours The monthly rate
for 1915 was, therefore, 1913. 1t Is
niw $45. Under the McAdoo plan of
increase this job pays 500 month
more than Smith is now drawing. He
Is, therefore entitled to five minths'
back pay at this rate, or $40 velvet,
and in future draws $53 month reg
ularly.
The method of finding out back pay
due to men who work on an hourly
rate is more complicated Machinist
Brown in 1915 got 35 cents an hour
for hours. 26 days a months. He
was paid for overtime and Sunday
work at time and one-half In 1918
hours were reduced to and his rate
increased to 40 cents His increase
will be figured on the 1915 hours and
rate. That is, he worked In 1915
234 hours month getting $3.50.
Under the McAdoo plan he is entitled
to 40 cents an hour from now on. In
1918 from Jan. / to May 81, he work
ed 294 hours a month, or an average
CT one hour daily overtime on the 1918
schedule For the five months end
ing May 81 this, gives him 1870 hours
overtime, He has been paid as fol-
lows:
1O4O hours straight time at 40
$50 hours overtime at 60 cents $500
Total ....... ..,......... S494.OO
His back pay will be figured as fol-
lows
104O hours straight time at 40
cents ......... .......... S5O9.6O
$50 hours overtime at 1914
cents ............ ...... 1856
lOtal ....,. ..,.......,''. poVo'lo
Deduct months pay at old rates
~ n M
s. s. 4
.HY -D