Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-18
FEW MEN ON RAILROADS
EARN LARGE SALARIES
Federal WACO Commission Much
Impressed With Justice OF Re-
quests for Higher Pay.
WILL REPORT FINDINGS SOON
Secretary Lane, Justice Covington
and Others Mako Thorough Invcs-
tigation OF Subject for Guidance
of administration.

Especial to The Times Dispatch.]
WASHINGTON. February l7.-With
| in week or ten days the railroad
wage commission. appointed by the di-
| rcctor-gcncral of railroads, will com
plctc what may be regarded rs the
most important wage inquiry under
| taken in this country in a generation
and will begin the preparation Of :,
report upon which the government.
| will rcadjuSt the rates of com
pcnsation of approximately 100000
American railway employees.
This investigation has added interest
at time when tho United States Ship
ping Board is engaged in controversy
with Il large body OF it's employees:
when there is evident rcstlcssncss on
the part Of workers in many of tn.
war Industries. and when there Is Il
revival of the agitation for the con-
scription of such labor as may he nee
cSSary to man the vital war works o.
this country.
The President and the director-gcn-
cral, without waiting for tho wage is
sue to become acute in SO far as the
railroads are concerned. concluded more
than month ago to institute a
thorough inquiry into the pay OF al!
employees of the railroads with a view
of granting such increases as the
higher cost OF living might dictate and
TO establish complete understanding be-
tween the government and those citi-
zcns who man. the railroads, an un-
Outstanding that is to hold az long
as tho transportation system OF the
country is operated under Federal au
thcrity.
In order that this inquiry might be
conducted with the utmost fairness and
the findings merit the confidence O.,
the great army Of railroad men, Mr.
McAdoo selected tho wage commission
with the greatest care. The names OF
scores OF leading men ws.e considered
before the director general arrived at
a decision. When the lis. was nnall.
boiled dawn :hc four men found to
possess every necessary qualification
were Franklin X. Lane. Secretary OF
interior and former Interstate Com
mcrce Commissioner: ]. Harry CovinG-
ton, cnicf justice of the District SUI
premc Court, former member OF Con
Gress from Maryland and the Presi-
dents personal investigator OF labor
troubles in the West: Charles G Nc
Ihord' a i'embcr of the Interstate Com
nercc Commission, and William r.
WILCOX former chairman OF the New
FORK lubiic Service Commission and
dh'ii lie" days ago chairman OF the
republican National Committee
MS Is the rroup OF men charged
with the duty of recommending a wage
standard mat is TO guide the director
general OF railroads in his dealings With
dC Of
lied and unorganizcd employees OF the
go"ernmc t-controllcd railway system
the Importance or whose findings has
not been fully comprehcndcd by the
country. Nor has the novelty OF this
proceeding been generally understood
THIS commission is not sitting in judy
ment upon contested case 1t is no,
acting even as an arbitration board
between the railroads and their men.
Ihere Is no dispute to be settled or a
controversy to be mediated. The gov
crnmcnt. upon it's own motion, is
SIMPLY making an investigation into
tie question OF wages with the View
OF doing justice to its new body OF
wartime employees.
The scope OF this investigation en-
braces the compensation OF all en-
ployces OF the railroads. the conditions
respecting wages paid in different parts
OF the country, the emergency respect
ms wages which exist at this time as
result Of war conditions and the high
cost OF living and the relation between
the various classes OF railroad labor
organized and unorganized
Already the investigation has pro-
ccedcd 20 the point where the bigger
phases Of the question involved stand
out boldly. The public hearings will
continue for "A few more days. but they
probably Will develop no new condi-
tons. IL might be stated, in the frs,
place. that there is no issue raised
between organized labor in the rail
road Industry and the labor that is not
organized. The four brotherhoods. as
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