The Washington herald., 1918-03-28
RAISES WAGES
ON RAILROADS
$2OO,OOO,OOO
Commissions Report Will
Probably Be Approved
by Director McAdoo.

Ine OlggesI wage increase IN lhe
history of the nation Is expected to
Be announced next week by w. G.
MeAdoo. director general OF the rail-
roads.
II will aggregate more than s2oo,-
0Oo.Ooo, II is reported, and will affect
more than 1.s2s,O0O men and women,
employees Of the country's transporta-
ton systems.
Save for a few minor details the re-
port Of the railroad wage commission,
which has been working for months
on the task Of wages and living con-
ditions. Is completed. It bears sweep
ing recommendations for salary in
creases and these, without doubt. will
be given the approval of the director
general The report will be transmit
few days.
Considers Rank and File.
Perhaps the most striking feature
OF the report Is that 1t gives direct
consideration to the rank and file OF
employees, who have labored for years
without any appreciable increases in
their wages. Lacking the organization
and strength Of the brotherhoods they
have pleaded a lost cause as far as
audible recognition of their complaints
from railroad officials is concerned.
On the other hand, however, organ
he'd labor is recognized by the commits
sion in handsome fashion and one
which Is designed to weld the union
men OF the railroads into a completely
satisfied branch OF the industry.
The wage increase announcement
will be doubly enhancing to the en-
ployes because it Is retroactive from
January ], 1913 This means that each
employe, whose pay check assumes
greater dignity because Of the benefi-
cence of the government, will be en-
titled to the amount Of his increase
from the first of the year.
The wage commission has steadfast-
ly. maintained silence both as to the
amount OF the increase il has recon-
mended. and the manner in which the
salary boosts will be apportioned. One
report. though lacking official an
nouncement, has been to the effect
that a lump sum increase. based on
the average yearly wage, is the sub
stance of the recommendation.
High Salaries Not Affected.
Latest railroad statistics show the
average wage of employees, excluding
general and division officers, to be
$3.50 a year. On the basis of an in
crease, which would make the aver
age wage s1.OOO a year, the aggregate
would be Sis, SO, ,5SLSS. Such an in
crease, it is said, is not unlikely es-
peciaily in view of Congressional ac-
ton in increasing the pay OF postoffice
employees.
The increase is not expected to af-
feet either general or division officers,
except for isolated cases, because
they, as a class, receive an average
annual salary in excess Of 5000 each.
portion, at least, Of the money
saved in reducing what the director
general deemed excessive executive"
salaries will 90 toward making the
little fellows" better able to meet
the high cost Of living bugaboo.
The following figures show the latest
statistics on the number Of railroad
employees, their annual compensation,
and average wage. divided by dis
tricts:
Eastern Western Southern
Their salary. s2.7a.s5 si:s2 sasTS
Other employes TA474 6lOO2 n 57
Their salary. .ssss. MIN SSH.SIsE5 $40 Osg3638
Average WagP.. sSe98 SSSs.a SR.9
was Great Task.
For the entire country 1856 is
the number given for general and
division officers with an aggregate
salary of s53,2OO.650, and 1875, ,1O3
other employees with an annual total
wage of S1.412.579.19O.
appointment of the railroad wage
commission was announced by Di-
rector General McAdoo, on January
IS. and daily and sometimes nightly
since that time the members have
been engaged at their work. The
commission is composed of Franklin
X. Lane. Secretary of the Interior;
Charles c. McChord, member of the
Interstate Commerce Commission;
J. Harry Coyington, chief justice OF
the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia and William E Wilcox,
Of New York. former chairman of
the Republican National committee.
The creation of the commission
was the elimination of a large num-
ber of complaints and demands of
employees directed at the director
general almost as soon as the gov
ernment took over the operation
of the roads. The commission was
therefore delegated with broad
powers and authorized to make q
general investigation of the whole
field of railroad labor.