Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-09
WORKERS ON
ROADS GIVEN
WAGE BOOST
Increase as High as 43 Per
Cent Recommended
by Commission.

Washington, May 9.-In recon-
-end.ng wage increases Of $780,
COO 900 annually for all railroad
employees whose wages were less
han $3.50 a month in December
1918 the railroad wage commits
sion made several original and far
reaching suggestions OF the prob
IAN Of railroad labor which at
tracted the close attention today
of Director QDesal McAdOo ana
ether government officials.
Nr. NcAdOo is expected TO an
nouuce his decision in about &c
davs. There are indications thar
be will not accept them in their
entirety Some union officials al
ready have expressed dIssatisfac-
tiou with the amounts recommend
ID for the men OF their organiza-
tons. the increases ranging from
43 downward to As per cent, the
highest paid men receiving the
lowest increase and the average
being l5.02I per cent advance over
the 1917 payroll.
Base Boost on Living Costs.
Perhaps the provision OF The rec
concentrations likely to encounter
most strenuous objection IS the one
that all wage increases allowed the
roads in 1916 and 1917 shall be de-
Quoted from the amounts now to
be given. The commission declared
that its conclusions were based or
a principle, which was that the
men were entitled to reCOmpense
for the increased cost of living.
and in basing its recommendation
on the payTolls of December, 1915.
in comparison with present prices
OF necessities. decided that it would
be unfair TO allow certain en-
pl0yes who already had received
wage advances. to benefit twice.
The commission declared in its
report that reductions in hours are
not to be regarded as increases in
pay. a stand frankly al variance
with high railroad officials, w.iG
during the hearings, asserted bat
the AdamsOn eight hour law was
IL CAELL d4A 4Lt4 td5t III pay DC
cause the overtime resulting was
inevitable and amounted to many
millions of dollars in money.
Hours Not Acted On.
Requests for an eight hour day
for all railroad employees and time
and a half for overtime were not
acted on by the commission.
AT the outset of the hearings"
the report says, lit was manifest
that the matter of hours of ser
vice is lodged deep in la5Or's mind.
A standard day Of reasonably lin
ited length is as much 4 part of
the measure Of justice with the
wOrkingman as is mis- rate of wage.
But this not the time, in the
Judgment of the commission, to
make experiments which might
lessen the output of that cOmmod-
ity which railroad men produce
tons Of freight hauled and num-
bers of passengers carried. The
one thing now imperative is vol
ume Of and speed in railroad out
put
While the commission is strong
ly disposed to a standard day, in
so far as the nature of the service
will permit it, its firm judgment
consequently is that the existing
hours OF service and overtime N
effort on the railroads should be
maintained for the period OF the
war.
Equal P~y TO Women Favored.
The employment OF women is
one Of the important problems
confronting those in charge OF the
actual operation of the railroads.
Much Of this work requires a ply
slcal effort beyond the strength of
women, and some Of it IS carrier
on under conditions menacing to
health. safety and morals. They
should be cared for. And their
Pay. when they do the full work
o. men, should be the same as
that OF men"
The commission recon-
mends," said the report. that dur
ING the period OF government con-
onct OF the railroads. no salaries
paid 10 officials who are not es-
sential 10 the operation Of the
railroads shall be charged as part
Oh the operating expenses. and that
careful study be made OF the
proper relation between the sala-
les OF the higher officials and those
OF their subordinates, with a view
10 FAaS 4f7 AZ