Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-27
D|RECTOR-GENERAL
GRANTS WAGE BOOST
TO MEN ON ROADS
Announces New Schedule
Will Go Into Effect
on Saturday.
ESTIMATED THAT INCREASES
WILL TOTAL S3OO,OOO,OOO
Half of This Sum Is to Be Dis
tributed Soon as
Back Pay.
NEW MINIMUM is ESTABLISHED
Women Are to Receive Same Salary
as Men When Called Upon to
Fill Mems Places.
ESTIMATED THAT INCREASES
WILL TOTAL S3OO,OOO,OOO
NEW MINIMUM is ESTABLISHED
LRY A..ociatra Prcssl

wASHINGTON. May o6.-Generai
pay increases for nearly 100000
railroad employees were announced to-
day by D!rec;or-Gene5al McAdoo. ef-
fectivc next Saturday and retroactive
TO last January !. carrying out sub
stantially recommendations Of the
railway wage commission. The ag-
gregate OF the increases probably will
be more than s3o0,ooo.oo0 year. half
OF which viii be distributed within a
few weeks as back pay in lump sums
ranging from about 800 to nearly
$500 each.
The director-gencral departed from
the wage commissions recommenda- :
t!ons in the following particulars:
The principle of the basic eight-hour
day is recognized. but owing to exigen-
cies OF the war situation, hours of em-
ployment are not actually reduced and
overtime is TO be paid pro rata; flu
ture adjustments OF pay are to be
made the basis Of eight hours.
In addition to the ordinary scale of
increase. day laborers employed mainly
on track work. are 10 get at least
81: cents IN hour more than they re-
ceived last December 81.
A minimum of 55 cents an hou.
:, is established for the shop trades. in
c!uding machin!sts, boilermakers and
blacksmlths.
Women are to receive the same pay
as men for the same work. and ne
groes are to get the same as white
p man for similar employment
To work out multitude OF inequal-
ties and other injustices caused by
varying rules OF employment and con-
dtion OF organization, the director
general created a new board OF rail-
road wages and working conditions
consisting OF three labor representa-
ttves and three railway executives.
which will conduc: extensive investiga
employment changes
WILL DEDUCT WHEN
ADVANCES ARE MADE
All increases now ordered will be
determined according 10 n percentage
scale based on pay received IN Dcccm-
ber, 1915. and any increases which
have been allowed within that time
Will be deducted. In many cases raises
in pay in the last two years and a
half are about equal to the increases
now approved. and consequently these
employees VIII get little or no more.
To correct such situations when injus-
tees are apparent, Will be the prin-
cipal duties of the new wage board
whose creation was suggested oy the
railroad wage commission In no
cases are wages 10 be reduced. Men
working on the monthly, daily hourly.
piece-work and train-mi!e basis, will
be benefited by the new allowances.
and members of the four leading rail-
way brotherhoods, whose pay was
raised through operation of the Adam
son act. are to receive from 10 to 40
per cent additional, smaller increase
than they had asked OF railroads shortly
before the government took control.
The wage order applies to all en-
poyees OF the l64 roads now under
Federal management. but not to the
so-calied snort lines. unless they are
retained by the government after July
J. 1t affects employees of terminal,
union station and switching companies.
lighters. ferries and tugs owned by
railroads. but not employees Of rail-
road boat lines on the lakes. rivers or
coastwise traffic. Although Pullman
cars now are under government opera :
tion. Pullman employees will not
a.
ton decides eventually 10 retain man
agement Of the cars
APPEALS TO WORKERS
TO FORGET DIsSENsIoN
In announcing his decision. Mr.. Nc
Adoo appealed to railroad EMPLOYEES to
forget dissensions and disappointments
arising under private control, and to
remember that the success of the war
depends largely on their services.
To meet the expenses of the wage in
crease, the biggest ever granted to
railroad or any other class Of en-
ployees at one time. the railroad ad-
ministration has discussed raising
freight and passenger rates.
The percentage of wage increases
extend from 43 for men who received
s46 month In December, 1915. down
to a small rate for those receiving just
under $3.50, and no more pay is al
lowed men who made $3.50 or more in
1915. The actual conditions run up to
s34.
With the exception OF Office and mel-
senger boys under eighteen, who are
given smaller increases. all employees
who received less than SAG a month are
given a fiat increase OF $50, with the
provisions that laborers paid by the
day shall get minimum of 1-2 cents
an hour above the rate six months ago.
The table OF Increases. as announced,
itemized for each dollar OF wages re-
ceived in December. 1915. may be sum-