The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-27
Full Wages for Women and
For Negroes Also Pro-
vided For.
100000 BENEFITED
New Board Of Wages and
Work Conditions is Es-
tablished.

WASHINGTON, May q. - General
pay increases for nearly two million
railroad employees we're announced to-
day by Director General McAdoo, ef-
fsctive next Saturday and retroactive
to last January !, carrying out sub
stanually recommendations Of the
railroad wage commission The az
gregate of the increases probably will
be more than $300.0OO00O a year, half
q which will be distributed within a
few weeks as back pay in lump sums
ranging from about 500 to nearly $500
each. The director general departed
from the wage commissions recon-
mendations in the following particu-
lars:
The principle Of the basic eight hour
day is recognized but owing TO ext
gences OF the war Situation, hours Of
employment are not actually reduced
md overtime is tob e paid pro rata;
future adjustments Of pay are 20 be
made on the basis OF eight hours.
In addition 10 the ordinary scale ~
Increase. day laborers, employed main.
" on track work. are 10 get at least
two and one.half cents an hour more
than they received last December 81.
A minimum Of % cents an hour is
established for the ship trades, IN
Guiding machirists. boiler makers and
blacksmlths; and
Women are 20 receive the same pay
as men COR the same work, and negroes
ere TO got the sane o. white men for
similar employment.
To work out a multitude OF inequall.
ties OF pay among employees doing sim.
liar work in different localities and
other injustices caused by varying
rules OF employment and condition OF
organization, the director general
created a new beard of railroad wages
and working conditions. consisting Of
three labor representative and three
railway executives, which will con.
duct extensive investigations and rec.
Omme.l wage ard o.ho5 employment
changes.
The rev board Of railroad wage and
working conditions IS composed OF J.
J. Defn1dy, vice president of the Or
der Of Railway Tr,egIaphers: G.. II.
Sines, vice president Of the Brother.
hood OF Railway Trainmen; A. o.
Wharton, head Of the Railway En-.
ployes' Department of tie American
Federation Of Labor; F. +. Gaines,
superintendent OF motive power Of the
Central Georgia Railway; c. L. Lind.
sey, maintenance OF way engineer for
the New York Central; and W. E.
Morse, general mana9er OF the Den.
yer auu Salt Lake railroad The lat.
tor three have resigned their positions
with railroads. The board will sit at
Washington, probably continuously.
The board will deal with organized
and unorganized employees alike, and
the railroad administration on It's own
initiative take up the claims OF rail.
way clerks and other unorganized
men.
To meet the expense Of the wage
increase, the biggest ever granted to
railroad or any other class Of EN-.
ployts At one time, the railroad admin.
istrat:on has discussed raising freight
and passenger rates.
The percentages Of wage increases
ranPe from 43 for men who received
SAC a month in December, 1915, down
70 a small rate for those receiving Just
under $3.50, and no moro pay Is al.
lowed men who made $3.50 or more in
1915. The actual additions run up %
S34.