The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-05

miles. 1t was argued by the labor lead
crs that the railroads, could speed up
thtlr trains from ~ miles an hour to
- - miles an hour, and that thus
there would be- no additional overtime.
The commission finds that the law has
not worked this way, but general :
that operations, outside of the wards,
have not been materially changed, but
that overtime has greatly increased
the bulk Of the additional wages be
ing IN the form of overtime payments.
Al the time of the passage of the law
the railroad presidents told congress
that the law would add a burden which
must be paid by the public Inasmuch
rs the government is. now operating the
roads and guaranteeing income tho
presidents spoke more truly than they
knew in 1916.
" The effect .of the law as applied, :"
me report says, ''is normally to leave
the compensation for straight MILEAGE
or straight time unchanged. The same
payment IS now made for a minimum
day OF eight hours as was formerly
made for minimum dav Of 10 honrs
ne mileage rate remains UNCHANGED
Whllc tho rate per hour is increased
Ihe increase in pay which the obscry
ahce o. the law brings to the employees
IS III the form of payment for overtime
az an increased rate per hour The cx-
t,ptlonS' are so unimrortant as to make
thelr discussion here unnecessary. -
Inc report cites the payroll Of the
pennsylvania railroad. for January.
1917, rs showing how the Adamson law
works. On this road 29,60S employees
received IN January of 1917, in straight
pay, S2,G24,07N under the 1916 schedule.
and for the eight hour schedule. kent
while the cight-hour law was in Iitiga-
ton, their straight pay was $2,622 .2G7.
or practically the SAME But in over
tlme charges the payment under the
l9l6 rate was 1927, 400. while under the
Atkinson law it was $3.50 ,66l-an in
crease IN payment for overtime of $3.50
III, or l6G.S per cent
Gin the question of the. practicabilitv
OF AL actual eight hour dav in train
service the report SAYS: .a..
Although the distinction is else
where noted in this.report. it is well ia
emphasize the fact that. while the law.
requires eight hours to be the measure
az standard OF a day 5 work for the
purpose of reckoning the compensation
for service Of train employees, il does
not limit the actual working time to
eight hours, - ... ~. 49,.
At another point the report saws:
AS result OF the law. even with
pro rata overtime, there have been mn.
mcrous instances OF changes in opera
tou OF trains in road service shorten
ng the time of runs, as shown in a pre.
NiouS section; but, generally speaking.
no married mango IN operation in road
service ~ observable. As elsewhere
STATED, thia Is not true Of ward service,
III winch an actual ci9ht-hour day has
beeh generally introduced.
To " hat extent il would bc prae-
lIr"ol' ultimately to limit the hours OF
road train employees to eight per day il
Is impossible to say
y study OF various plans for meeting
,ne increased financial burden OF the
Adamson law brings the conclusion bv
inc report th"t the cheapest thing for
the railroads to do Is to 20 on with the
former basis Of operation and to pay thu
IAb,tt' St'ti age .ua ..".a.r ,-.t-#
Nl' VICTOR -. Ialh made for the com
l.i'.' ION - study OF employment condi-
tioHN under the eight hour law. in which
he iods that an eight-hour day in rail
road operation cannot he made by the
mere enactment Of a law by congress
II" says:
The clght-hour law is in effect an
act fixing rates of pay with view TO
encourage shorter working dav and
not am act defining hours of labor.
" Furthermore, important changes in
working conditions upon group If
IailWgvS Isl, nvtar.;,., md