Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-18
P. R. R. WORKERS
IN Big PAY BOOST
10000 Employees Due for
Increase Asked by
Wage Board
1926 PER CENT RAILS T.

About 10000 employees Of the Penn
sylvania Railroad lines east of PITTS
burgh will receive increases In pay
ranging from twelve go twenty five cents
" the recommendations of the Railroad
Wage Commission. appointed by Direc-
tor General McAdoc, are put into
effect---snd II is considered certain that
they will be.
The wage increase affects not only the
mechanical employees Of the company,
who are well organized in labor unions
but the unorganized clerical workers
who viii profit by the fght for higher
pay that the brotherhoods have put up.
Railroad officials could not give an ac-
curate estimate today OF what this win
amount to in tho aggregate addition TO
the payroll Of the company. but ~ will
mean many million dollars more put into
circulation each month w the state Of
Pennsylvania alone.
While this will he huge extra burden
Of expense on the railroad companies.
1t is expected that the additional ex-
pense will he offset largely by economies
which are In contemplation for the Inn
mediate future Among tho chief of
these economies is the consolidation Of
passenger and freight Office of the dif-
ferent companies into one central office.
delphia alone, T. is estimated, will be
brought about in this way bv the clint
nation Of rentals and tho reduction Of
the number of employee
The commission has not completed
its report to Mr.. McAdoo. but II has
res ched the conclusion that the office
worker shall not be overlooked when
salary advances. declared by the
brotherhoods to be essential to meet
living expenses, are granted. Nor will
the incres Sc to yard and operating EN-
ployes he confined to members of
brotherhoods. All are to be treated
alike.
Tho demands made by tho brother
hoods at Cleveland last November aud
rejected by the heads of the railroads.
before the Government took over the
carriers. averaged about % per cent,
but the brotherhood chiefs do not ey-
meet such increases from the Govern
nent.
The brotherhoods. composed of en-
yineers. tlremen, conductors, flagmen
and brakemen represent about 400.
900 of the railroad workers. of which
there arc. Including all office employees
about 100000.
The proposed salary increases will
add many millions of dollars to the
NnefNt1nG COSTS OF fne ialiouuS unuer
Government control. but n substar-
tlal mart of this. it Is believed. can he
offset by economies In many other
directions. Not TIE least of these is
the elimiratior Of numerous passenger
and freight soliciting offices. McAdoo's
special commission to consider this
question completed its work yesterday,
and It recommended that except in
few cities all ticket and freight
offices shall be consolidated,
N considering wage increases tho
commission looted 60 salary schedules
of all Of the $500 900 workers.
II has been patent for many years
that the wages of office workers have
been notoriously low, although In a
ma ioritv of instances the work has
demanded men OF high school educa-
ton or better.
In the general freight offices OF the
big systems, where the tariffs are
written. college graduates have had to
start ut ridiculously small salaries. In
one of the biggest svstems in the Mid
die West and South men In the rate
making departments get only $50 and
SIS q month after several years eX-
pel.ience. and the chief clerks and
heads of divisions. after many years
service. receive $3.50 to 5000 month.