The Washington times., 1918-08-10
PAY RAISE TO MEN
CERTAIN NOW SAY
TRACTION OFFICIALS
By BILL PRICE

Officials of the two street railway
lines Of Washington today regarded
as inevitable the granting of in
ductors, and other employees in this
city when the employees submit their
request to the war labor board, which
they will do in a short time.
Inevitable also, II was stated by q
number of officials, would be the ne
cessity of asking the Public Utilities
Commission to increase the fare rate
Sufficient to meet the increased wages
that will have to be paid.
The executive committee of the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company, at a meeting yesterday af-
ternoon, reached the conclusion that
additional compensation will have to
be paid street railway employees here
and that the company is financially
unable to grant the increase unless
given a higher rate of fare than now
paid. The action of the executive
committee will be laid before the
board of directors, which is expected
to prepare the facts upon which the
company will sooner or later go be-
IOT0 Ile SOAAAhAooAcA
with a petition for increase
Cases Pending.
The war labor board, of which for
mer President william H Taft and
Frank Walsh are joint chairmen, stin
has pending before 1t a number Of
cases of petitions Of street railway
employees for increased wages 1t has
already made awards in twenty or
thirty cases. fixing the maximum
wages to- be paid in large cities at
from 4s to 5Ok cents an hour, and in
other cities at from Al to 45, the rates
according to local conditions
The war labor board is in recess at
this time, but will soon resume its
work. The case of the Washington
men. when submitted, will be
set down for a hearing, at which the
local traction situation will be thor
oughly threshed over.
An award from the board on Wash
ington wages to street railway work
ers will hardly be likely inside OF two
or three months.
The local union OF street railway
employees voted to put the request for
increase UP to the Capital Traction
first. and IL refused there
the case would be carried to the War
Labor Board. Whether the employees
Of the Washington Railway and Elec- |
trio Company haYe organized a union |
by the time the case is submitted
would be of little consequence, as
whatever award Is made by the board |
would apply to all employees. union or
nonunion-
Want Maximum.
The local men want the maximum
wages paid in other cities and will |
yeek IS to 5oh cents Although in
condition, the Capital |
Traction Company will be unable to |
increase the pay of its /
men to anything like those figures, II |
was stated today. It will probably |
wait for the verdict of the War Labor |
Board. Officers OF the Washington |
and Electric Company say \
hat company cannot make further
Increases without award from the /
War Labor Board.
Officers Of the Washington Railway
md Electric Company have for a num-
yer Of months informally hinted to MEM
,ers Of the Public Utilities Commission
hat the finances OF the company would
ave to be improved by means Of in
reased rate of fare to the public. This
las been repeatedly foreshadowed in
hese columns. Just when the formal
application for increase will be made
will be determined by circumstances
The increased wages by the war labor
'oard were made retroactive, although
he railway companies were given ample
ime to pay the back wages. The
prospect Of a retroactive decision in
will influence the board of
directors Of the company in the action