The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-09
FAR REACHING SUGGESTIONS
MADE IN REPORT OF
COMMISSION.
SUBMITTED TO NC ADOO
Eight-Hou Day Not Acted Upon
= Women in Railroad Labor,
Due to War, Should be Protected
in Body and Morals.

lliNlhilIS WdSC lilNiNdSCS VI pOOO,OOO,
600 annually for railroad employees
whose wages were, i'll December,
1915, less than $3.50 month, the rail
road commission made several far
reaching suggestions on the prob
lem of railroad labor which attract
ed the close attention today of Di-
rector General McAdoo and other
government officials.
Mr.. McAdoo is expected to an
nounce his decision on the recon-
mendations in about 10 days. There
are indications that he will not ac-
cept them in their entirety. Some
union officials have already express
ed dissatisfaction with the amounts
recommended for the men OF their
organizations, their increases rang
ing from IS per cent downward to
40 per cent, the highest paid men
receiving the lowest increases and
the average being l5,02l per cent
advance of the 1917 payroll.
One Knotty Problem.
Perhaps the provision of the rec
concentrations likely to encounter
most strenuous objection is one that
all wage increases allowed by the
roads in 1915 and 1917 shall be de
Quoted from the amounts now pro-
posed. The declaration is that the
amounts were based on principle,
wherever the men were entitled to
recompense for the increased cost of
living, and in basing its rcommen-
dations on the payrolls of December
1915, in comparison with present
prices OF necessities, decided that
it would be unfair to allow certain
employees who had already received
wage advances to benefit twice.
The commission declared in its re-
port that reductions in hours are
not to be regarded as increase in
pay, a stand frankly at variance
with high railroad officials who dur
ing the hearing declared that the
Adams law was an increase in pay
because the overtime resulting was
inevitable and amounted to many
millions of dollars in money.
Eight Day Question.
Requests for an eight-hour day
for all railroad employees and for
time and a half for overtime were
not acted on by the commission.
AT the outset of the hearings"
the report says, 1T was manifest
that the matter of hours of service
is lodged deep in labor's mind. \
standard day of reasonable limited
length is as much part of the
measure of justice with the work
ing man as his rate of wage.
at would be a splendid achieve
ment if we could at this time cry
Stallize the experience of the world
into a conclusion concerning the
length OF the work day that would
be of universal application.
But this is not the time, in judg-
men of the commission. to make
which might lessen the
output of that commodity which
men produce - tons of
freight hauled and numbers OF pas
sengers carried. The one thing now
is volume of. and speed
in railroad output. Since the com
missions work began. as before. our
needs as a nation. and the vital needs
Of those nations with whom we are
allied. have been imperiled by the
shortcomings OF our transportation
system. There is no one who wish
rs to risk a repetition of this con-
iition.
Shouldn't Penalize Government.
The railroad employees have ask
I'd for the shorter day. saying frank
" that they did not wish an in
.reased rate for overtime save as
means OF compelling the observance
,f shorter hours-a penalizing OF
he employers for too long a work
iay. At this time. however, TO pen
llize the government for working
is men as long as they have been in
he habit OF working under their
private employers. the railroad COM