Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-27

Washington, May 26.-General pay 1 increases for nearly 2,000,Ct0 Tail- ! road employees were announced today by Director General McAdoo effective next Saturday and retroactive to last January l, carrying out substantially recommendations of the railroad wage commission. The aggregate of the in creases probably will be more than $500, 1000 900 year, half of which will be distributed within few weeks as back pay in lump sums ranging from about $100 to nearly $200 each. The director general departed from 1 the wage commissions recommends tions in the following particulars: Pay to Be Based on Eight Hour Day. l The principal of the basic S-hour 1 day is recognized, but owing to eXi- l gencies of the war situation, hours of i employment are not actually reduced and overtime is to be paid pro rata; l future adjustments of pay are to be i made on the basis of eight hours:
 "In addition to the ordinary scale of increase, day laborers employed mainly on track work. are to get at | least 2 1-2 cents an hour more than they received last December 31;
 55 Gents an Hour in Shops
 "A minimum of 55 cents an hour is | cluding machinists, boilermakers and blacksmiths, and;
 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 inequi- ties of pay among employees doing ] similar work in different localities and other injustices caused by varying rules of employment and condition ot Organization, the director general created a new board of railroad wages and working conditions, consisting o1 three labor representatives and three :. railway executives, which will eonducr , extensive investigation and recon mend wage and other employmen Changes. a..5s.s,.-
 s Increases Based on Percentage. ] "All increases now ordered will b, 0 determined according to a percentag
 scale based on pay received in De ! cember, 1915 and any increases whicl !, have been allowed within that tim y will be deducted. In many case S raises in pay in the last two and ;
 half years are about. equal to the in
 creases now approved. and conse e quently those employees will get littl S or no more. To correct just such sit = nations when injustices are apparen l. will be one of the principal duties o
 the new wage board, whose creation 1, was suggested by the railroad wag a commission. In no cases are wages t = be reduced. --
 Peaceworkers Will Benefit. d Men working on the monthly, dail, e hourly, pieceworll and mill basis wi W benefit by the new allowances an d members of the four leading. railwa
 brotherhoods whose pay was raise
 through operation of the Adamson aC e are to receive from 10 to 40 per cen l. addotion a smaller increase than the IS asked of railroads shortly before th J. government took control.
 All Employees of 164 Roads. ;, The wage order applies to all en ar ployes of the 164 roads now undt = federal management. but not to tt u so-called short lines unless they al -e retained by the government after Jul
 l. It affects employees of termina ,t union station and switching compar " ies, lighters, ferries and tugs owne = by railroads, but not employees i, railroad boat lines on the lakes, ri7 -- CTS or coastwise traffic. Althous
 Pullman cars now are under govern -o tment operation, Pullman employees wi s not benefit unless the railroad admin ., istration decides to retain manag, ;n ment of the cars.
 May Raise Rates.
 To meet the expense of the wage Il to crease, the biggest ever granted we railroad or any other class of en iS ployes at one time. the railroad al LII ministration has discussed raisiI
 freight and passenger rates.
 The percentages of wage increa ,h, range from 43 for men who receiv, he $46 a month, in December. 1915, dow al to small rate for those receiving ju under $250, and no more pay is a
 lowed men who made s250 or more
 1915. The actual additions run up ha $34
 e. With the exception of officers al of messenger boys under Is who a y's given smaller increases; all employ at who received less than $46 mon
 are given fiat increase of s20 wi
 the provision that laborers paid by t
 day shall get minimum of 2 on on cents an hour above the rate S +h +il months ago.
 tv Table of Increase. or The table of increases as announce
 itemized for each dollar of wages T
 cefved in December. 1915, may . he summarized as follows: