South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-27
TWO MILLION
MEN GET BIC
PAY ADVANCE
MCAdoo Announces Increases
in Accordance With Recent
Recommendations of Rail
Wage Commission.

McAdoo. effective next Saturday
and retroactive 10 last Jan. 4. car
rying out substantially recommen-
dations OF the railroad wage COM
mission. The aggregate Of the in
cresses probably will be more than
S30o.0O0.00O year. half Of which
will be distributed within few
weeks as back pay in lump sums,
ranging from about $500 to neaEIy
$20O each.
The director general departed
from the wage commissions recon-
mendations in the following particu-
lsrs: The principle OF the basic
eight hour day is recognized. but
owing to exigencies OF the war situa-
ton. hours OF employment are not
actually reduced and overtime is 10
be paid pro-rata. future adjust
ments of pay are 10 be made on the
basis Of eight hours.
In addition 10 the ordinary scale
% increase, day labOrers. employed
mainly on track work. are 10 get at
least - cents an hour more than
they received last Dec 81.
Minimum of % Cents.
A minimum OF 50 cents an hour
is established for the shop trades
including nachinists. boilermakers
and blacksmiths. and women are to
receive the same pay as men for
the same work. and Negroes are
10 get the same as whit men tor
similar employment
To work out a multitude of in
equalities OF pay among employees
doing similar work i'm different To-
calities and other iniustices caused
by varying rules of employment and
condition of organization the di-
rector general created a new board
OF railroad wages and working con-
ditions. consisting OF three labor
representative. and three railway
executives. which will conduct ex-
tensive investigations and recon-
mend wage ard other employment
changes
Based on December. 1913.
All increases row ordered will he
determined according TO a percent
age scale based on pay received I'm
December 1915. and any increases
which have been allowed within
that time will be deducted. In many
cases raises in pay i'm the last two
md half years are almost equal
30 the increases now approved and
consequently those employees will
get little or no more
To correct JUST situations when
iniustices are apparent will he
enc Of the principal duties Of the
new wage age board whose creation
vas suggested 10y the railroad wage
committee I'm no cases are wages
to be reduced
Men working on the monthly.
daily and hourly piece work and
train mile basis. will benefit by the
new allowances, and members Of the
four leading railway brotherhoods
whose paw was raised through op-
Grafton OF the Adamson act are to
receive from 10 TO 40 per cent ad-
ditional. "A smaller increase than
they had asked OF railroads shortly
before the government took con-
troll
Applies To t6t Roads.
The wage order applies 90 an en-
plcyes OF the f64 roads now under
federal management but not TO the
-o-called short lines unless they are
retained by the government after
July L. II affects employees OF ter
minaI. union station and switching
companies. lighters, ferries and tugs
owned Soy railroads. but not en-
ployes OF railroad boat lines on the
lakes. rivers or ccastwise traffic.
Although pullman ears are nov
under government operation, pull
man employees viii not benefit unless
the railroad administration decides
eventually TO retain management OF
he cars.
In announcing his decision Mr..
IcAdoo appealed 60 railroad en-
ployes 10 forget dissensions and dis
appointments arising under private
control and 90 remeto Der that the
success of the war depends largely
on their. services
To meet the expenses or the age
increase the bigCest ever granted
20 railroad or any other class of
employees ar one time. the railroad
administration has discussed raising
freight and passenger rates.
The percentages of increases
range from S4s for men who re-
ceivedS46 a month in Dccember
1915. down 90 a small rate for those
receiving just under Sc5o and no
more pay is allowed men VINO make
$3.50 or more i'm 1915 The actual
additions run APP 20 So.
With the exception OF office and
messenger boys under is who are
uIoycs who received less than $50 "a
month are given "a aat increase OF
500 with the provision that lanorers
paid by the day shall set mimi
mum OF 10 cents am hour above
the rate six months ago.