The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-06-04
TRAVELLING PUBLIC
HIT HARD BY NJ ADOO
GREAT ADVANCE IN RAILROAD
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT
RATES is ORDERED.
DONE TO MEET INCREASE
IN The SALARE.of . ''0' DYES

AGQS VIC DAAAAOh GO1IdES
to Amount Now Being Paid by the
People For Railway Service Pas
senger Fares to Be Cents Mile.
One week from today, Tuesday of
next week, by order of W. G. Nc
Adoo, director general of railroads,
passenger fares in the United States
will be increased to three cents
mile from the present basis of 212
cents, and on June 25th an increase
of 25 per cent. in freight rates will
become effective.
1t is estimated that the program
will bring between $500, 100000 and
100000 more revenues to the
railroads within the next year. 1t
represents by far the biggest rate in
crease in the history of railroads.
Issued under authority granted by
the railroad act to President Wilson,
acting through the director general,
the order wipes out all interstate
lower rates effective on either freight
or passenger traffic.
Two Glasses of Passengers.
Travellers in standard sleeping and
parlor cars are required to pay 3 u
cents a mile, in addition to Pullman
fares, and in tourist sleeping cars
3 a cents. Pullman rates remain the
same. This will have the effect
Of dividing passengers into two class
es, as in Europe.
An Illustration of the increase in
the cost of passenger fares may be
shown by comparison of the pres
ent cost of a trip from Dawson to
Atlanta and return, and what it will
be under the new order. The fare
now, travelling at night in a sleeping
car, is $3.50 and for the same ser
vice under the new rate it will be
$3.50, an increase of $3.50.
Special excursion, mileage, conven-
ton and tourist rates, with a few ex-
ceptions, are discontinued, privileges
such as stOpovers and free side trips
are abolished, and excess baggage
charges are increased.
A number Of fiat increases, instead
of percentage additions, are ordered
for cotton, coal, coke, lumber, ore,
stone, grain, livestock, meats, sugar,
bullion and other commodities.
8-Hour Wage Basis.
Important provisions of the wage
increase order are:
Acceptance of the basic eight-hOur
day for all classes of railroad en-
plOyes.
Increasing the wage of common
labor two and one-half cents an hour
over the rate of December, 1917,
where the wage commission recon-
mendations were less than that
amount.
Fixing a minimum wage of fifty
five cents an hour for machinists,
boilermakers, blacksmiths and other
shop mechanics who have been re-
ceiving the same hourly rate.
Placing negro firemen, trainmen
and switchmen upon the same basis
of pay as white men employed in
similar positions.
The new scale of wages set in the
amended report is to be paid COM
mencing June /, but, in addition, the
men will receive back pay from Jan
uary l, 1918, in all cases where the
new wage exceeds the pay they for
merly received. No wages shall be
lowered, however, where the read
Justed rates do not come up to the
figure previously paid.
Figures have not been prepared to
show just what extent the changes
made by Director McAdoo will in
crease the payroll of the railroad adj
ministration, but it was estimated
that the amount would be in the
neighborhood of $25,000,000.
Negro on Same Basis as Whites.
As to negro employees, the conten-
ton Of the railroads under private
ownership was that the negroes were
not as efficient as white labor, and
therefore did not deserve as much
money. The position taken by Direc-
tor General McAdoo was that if they
were fit to any work they were en-
titled to equal pay.