Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-19
ROADS NOT AGAINST
INCREASE IN WAGES
Officials Admit That Some
Glasses of Employees Arc
Underpaid.
UNION AND N0NUNl0N ALIKE
Few Boys Are Now Employed
by Railroads Except as
Messengers.
UNION AND N0NUNION ALIKE
rBy hhroc,at.d Pr,..l

! by representatives OF a majority OF
| the railroads OF the United states, an
pcarins for the first time before the
| governments railroad wage commits
sion. They said they came not to op-
pose requests, OF the employees, bu,
. merely 20 aid the comm ission by Civ
ing information.
ofiicials need no evidence that the
cost OF living has increased and that
the !oW-paid man needs assistance dur
Ing the war" declared J. w. Higgins
Of Chicago. executive secretary OF tn.
western Association OF Railways
speaking for the roads OF the Western
district.
No ono recognizes more kccnly than
the managcments that there arc nun
| crous classes Of employees not prom
! er!y compensated" was the statcrncn,
made for the Eastern territory by John
g. Walbcr. of New York. secretary Of
the bureau OF Information of Eastern
railways.
T. w. Brown. Of Washington. assist
ant to the vice pr csident of the South
crn Railway. did not touch on the need
Tor wage advances. but agreed that
conditions outlined in other sections
Z Ia =
roads In the Eastern and western ter
ritory pay 81 per cent Of the money
earned By railroad employees in the
United States
Mr.. liiggins's assertion that the low
paid man should be helped. drew from
Secretary Lane. chairman CT the com
mission. question al TO wnat he ccn-
sidcrcd low paid man.
MEN PAID UNDER $50
a MONTH NEED MORE:
II would say that all men receiving
under $50 month need more money
TO meet ihc advance in prices OF neces-
sites" Mr Higgins replied. PERHAPS
the limit of those who need help should
b: raised TO $4,000 year. which seem
20 be the limo drawn by the govern.
mcn' in the income tax law. The great.
est advance should be given 10 The men
making less than 500 Il month. Those
fellows r:as: be having strenuous
,niIc."
The 5000 limit would include all
laborcrs. trainmcu. brakcmcn. me.
chanicS and clcrhs. and great many
engineers and conductors" commented
Mr.. Lane.
RAILROADS NOT UNMINDFUI.
OF EMPLOYEES WELFARE
Mr. Higgins agreed that was true.
lie did not suggest any definite in
crease. but remarked that perhaps the
increased living cost should be borne
for the distressed employee during the
war. Both he and M-. Walber asserted
that the managcmcnts have not been
unmindful OF the welfare of ;hcir en- :
nioyces in the past. and have given ad :
ditional pay where their finances per
mitted
All the speakers were careful 70 state
that they made no distinction between
union members and unorEani2cd en-
pioyccs The course OF wages was de-
clarcd to have been upward since 1910
when the concerted form of demand
was first used by the brothcrhoods
Especially since 1915. the ascending
trend has been noticeable, according to
the speakers, who cndcavorcd to show
mat all classes OF employees have re-
ceivcd consideration In the matter Of
better pay. Mr.. Walber said that from
January, 1916. to the latter part of
1917. the pay OF skilled labor and clerks
increased 10 per cent in the Eastern
district and unskilled labor from %
TO 100 per cent. He declared the tenure
of position was very constant in the
abroad service, and attributed to this
the loyalty of many employees who re-
fused higher wages in industrial plants
to remain with the reads
Tho railroads will he running long
after lot of these factories and ship
yards have their gates nailed up" he
remarked
Between 1909 and 1915. Mr.. walbcr
said. engineers received wage increases
OF 1873 per cent; Gremen. 1851 per cent
conductors. 23.32 per cent, and all other
trainmcn 2a.a1 per cent. the increase
being affected in large part by
'chanEes in the wage schedules and TO
less degree by changes in the rules.
Mr.. Higgins said the average rate OF
increase for operating employees in the
Western district between 1909 and 1915
had hccn lS.o5 per cent Since that
time. tho wage increase on nine repre-
sentative roads had been s1l.O7S,0oi in
1916 for $4,000 men. and s39,I13.6lo in
1917 for 3io.iS6 men. an average for the
two years Of S11f.sa per man. If the
ratio was true OF all tho roads in the
United States, he estimated the total
ADDED TO the pay rolls this year would
be between $3.50 100000 and $3.50, ,o0o, 600.
or the 1917 increase, s1o.?aI 900 was
said to have been absorbed by the
operation Of the cight-hour law.
HIGGINS AND WALBER
GOES TO TRAINMEN
"Thcn half the increase of that year
went to the tranmcn." remarked Score
tary Lane.
In reporting their wage Increases.
some Of the roads included the pay of
officers In tho total. AIR. Higgins said,
however, no thought the officers had
received few increases.
'Do you think any Of these officers
ought to have their salaries rcduccd?"
asked Commissioner NicChord.
II am not In a position to answer
Continued on Fourth Pasc.)