Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-27
M'ADOO ANNOUNCES ADVANCES
IN WAGES OF ALL RAILROAD :
EMPLOYEES.
ADDS $780, 100000
PER YEAR TO PAYRoLLS
Increase 10 Made Retroactive to Jan. I
Last-McAdoo Departs From Com
missions Recommendations in Sew
eraI Particulars - Working Hours
Not Reduced.

Washington, May 27.-General pay
increases for nearly 1000, 900 railroad
employees were announced Sunday by
Director General McAdoo, effective
next Saturday and retroactive to last
Jan. /, carrying out substantially rec
concentrations of the railroad wage
commission.
The aggregate of the increases prob
ably will be more than $3OO.O00,O00 a
year, half of which will be distributed
within a few weeks as back pay in
lump sums ranging from about 500
to nearly 5000 each.
Some Changes Are Made.
The director general departed from
the wage commissions recommends
tons 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 en-
ployment are not actually reduced and
overtime is to be paid pro rata: future
adjustments of pay are to be made on
the basis of eight hours.
In addition to the ordinary scale Of
increase, day laborers, employed main
ly on track work, are to get at least
2h cents an hour more than they re-
ceived last Dec. 81.
A minimum of IS cents an hour is
established for the shop trades, includ-
ing machinists, boiler makers, and
blacksmiths.
Women are to receive the same pay
as men for the same work, and ne
en- hA q -Uhifa
men for similar employment.
New Board Is Created.
To work out a multitude Of Unequal
tiles of pay among employees doing SIM
liar work in different localities and
other injustices caused by varying
rules of employment and condition of
organization. the director general Gre
ated a new board Of railroad wages
and working conditions. consisting of
three labor representatives and three
railway executives, which will conduct
extensive investigations and recon-
mend wage and other employment
changes.
All increases now ordered will be de-
termined according to a percentage
scale, based on pay received IN De-
cember, 1915. and any increases which
have been allowed within that time will
be deducted. In many cases raises In
pay in the last two and a half years
are about equal to the increases now
approved, and consequently these en-
ployes will get little or no more.
No Deduetions'to Be Made.
To correct just such situations when
injustices are apparent will be one OF
the principal duties of the new wage
board, whose creation was suggested
by the railroad wage commission. In
no cases are wages to be reduced.
Men working on the monthly. hour
ly, piece work, and train mile basis
will benefit by the new allowances, and
members Of the four leading railroad
brotherhoods, whose pay was raised
thru operation Of the Adamson act, are
to receive from 10 to 40 per cent addi-
tional, smaller increase than they
had asked OF the railroads shortly be-
fore the government took control
Those Who Will Benefit.
The wage order applies to all en-
ployes Of the 1854 roads now under fed.
eral management. but not to the So
called short lines, unless they are re-
tanned by the government after July 1.
1t affects employees Of terminal. union
station and switching companies. light
ers, ferries and tugs owned by rail-
roads, but not employees OF railroad
boat lines on the lakes, rivers or coast
wise traffic.
Altho Pullman cars now are under
government operation, Pullman en-
ployes will not benefit, unless the rail-
road administration decides eventually
to retain management Of the cars.