The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-05-27
BOOSTS PAY OF
RAILROAD men
s->'~~>-s
McAdoo Orders Increase For
100000.
RECOGNIZES 8-H0UR DAY


Back Pay From Jan. BIASED on
Scale of 1915. Increases Since to be
Deducted.
Washington, May 27.-General pay
increases for nearly 2.0UO,0O0 railroad
employees were announced by Director
General McAdoo, effective next Satur-
day and retroactive to last January l,
rarlying out substantial recommended
lions of the railroad wage commission.
The aggregate of the increases prob
ably will be more than S3o0,O0O,00O Il
year, half of which will be distributed
lump sums ranging from about 800
TO nearly 5000 for each employee.
the wage co,c>'ssio n recommends a,ds'.
tons in the following particulars.
The principle of the basic eight
hour day is recognized, bur owing 10
exigencies of the war situation, hours
Of employment are not actually reduC-
ed and overtime is to he paid pro
rata: future adjustments of pay are
to he 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 haSt
215 cents an hour more than they re-
ceived last December 81.
\ minimum of fifty-tive cents an
10 lN1i 20 RI oh n,
including machinists, boilernakers
and hlacksmiths.
Women are to receive the same pay
as men for the same work, and negroes
are TO get the same as white men for
similar employment.
To work out a multitude of inequali-
ties Of pay among employees doing
similar work in different localities and
other injustices caused by varying
rules OF employment and condition of
organization, the director general Gre
ated a new board of railroad wages
and working conditions, consisting of
three labor representatives and three
railway executives, which will conduct
extensive invests cations and recon-
mend wage and other employment
changes.
All increases nos ordered will be
determined according to percentage
scale based on pay received In De
cember, 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 Il
half years are about equal to the in
creaSes now approved, and cOnse-
quently these employees will get little
or no more.
To correct just such situations when
injustices are apparent will be one OF
the principal duties Of the new wage
board, whose creation was suggested
by the railroad wage commission. In
no cases are wages to be reduced.
Although Pullman cars are now I'M
der government operation, Pullman
employees will not benefit unless the
railroad administration decides even
tually 70 retain management of the
cars
Men working on the monthly, daily,
hourly, piece work and train mile ba-
sis will benefit all the new allowances,
and members of the four leading rail-
way brotherhoods whose Pc. vas rails
ed through operation of the Adamson
act are to receive from 10 to 10 per
cent additional, smaller increase
than they had asked of railroads
shortly before the government took
control
The wage order applies to all en-
ployes of the 1874 roads now under
federal management, but not TO the
so-called short lines unless they are
retained by the government after July
1. 1t affects employees of terminal.
union station, and switching COM
panies, lighters, ferries and tugs own
ed by railroads, but not employees of
railroad boat lines on the lakes, rivers
mr. cOaStWiSe traffic