Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1918-06-07

General pay increases for nearly
100000 railroad employees were an
nounced Monday by Director General
McAdoo, effective last Saturday, and
retroactive to last January l, carry
ing out substantially the recommended
tions of the railroad wage commits
sion. The aggregate Of the increases
probably will be more than $3OO,OOO,-
600 year, half of which will be dis
tributed within a few weeks as back
pay in lump sums ranging from about
500 to $500 each.
The director general departed from
the wage commissions recommenda-
tions in the following particulars;
The principle of the Dasic eight
hour day is recognized, but owing to
the exigencies Of the war situation,
hours Of employment are not actually
reduced and overtime is to be paid
pro rata; future adjustments of pay
are to be made on the basis of eight
hours.
LabOrers Get Raise
In addition to the ordinary scale of
increase, day labOrers employed main
ly on track work, are to get at least
2h cents an hour more than they re-
ceived last December 81.
A minimum Of 55 cents an hour is
established for the shop trades, in
Guiding machinists, boilermakers and
blacksmiths; and women are to re-
ceive 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 multitude Of inequal-
tiles 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.
To Conduct Investigations
This board, consisting of three la
Dor representatives and three railway
executives, will conduct extensive in
vestigations and recommend wage
and other employment changes.
All increases now ordered will be
determined according to d 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 a
half years are about equal to the in
creases now approved, and conse-
quently those 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 sug-
gested by the railroad wage COM
mission.
In no cases are wages to be re-
duced.
Men working on the monthly, daily,
hourly, piece work and train-mile
basis will benefit by the new allow
ances, and members of the four lead
ing railroad brotherhoods, whose pay
was raised through operation Of the
Adamson act are to receive from 10
to 40 per cent additional, smaller
increase than they had asked Of the
railroads shortly before the govern
ment took control
Applies to 164 Roads
The wage order applies to all en-
ployes of the 164 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
owned by railroads, but not employees
of railroad boats, lines on the lakes,
rivers or coastwise traffic.
Although Pullman cars now are
under government operation, Pullman
employees will not benefit unless the
railroad administration decides event
ually to retain management of the
cars.
In announcing his decision Mr.. Nc
Adoo appealed to railroad employees
to fnrOet diSSnnCinnS and diSannnint