New-York tribune., 1919-12-06
Wage /.
Abuses Alleged
Before Senate
kellogg S"vs Increase H,s
Been 2000o in Some
Cases: Local Condition.
Ignored in Fixing Rate.
Ve'o York T-bsn,
Wnst,,csop

f'''S To1na
Wass,-o'~- R.-..s
WASHINGTON. Dec. 5.-The nav =,
railroad employees has been increased
as high as 200 per cent during n.
period OF government control and on
erati. n. Senator Kellogg, of Minnsso-s
charged in the Senate TO-DAY dr.
discussion of the Cummins railross
bill
y am not contending the general av-;
erage Ct the principal. EMPLOYEES ia -,
high" he Senator said. although the
increase Sc whole since 1915 is eou,l
to the increase in the cost of 'iy'no
But what is subject to condemnation e
this: First. the Director General hs.
standardized the wages CT practjcelv
all railroad employees throughout thu
United States in the same class. IRE
spcctive OF the cost Of living and local
conditions; second. thousands Of orders
nave been made reclassiiylng EMPLOYEES
md taking them out of a over c,ass
and placing them in Il CHER class -
pay.
Specific Abuses Charged
On the first point standarsizs-
ton: For instance. the pay of marv
employees IN remote districts or
branch lines, where traffic " lirh..
the cost of living low and in man
cases where employees devoted to their
uties only part OF their time. has
been ~a!sed equal 70 u ose IN mora
denscly popu ated dlstr cts, undo. more
expensive living cond tions. In some
instances where station agents mad
other employment and only devoted q
part of their time 10 railroad work
cir salaries have been increased from
100 to 200 per cent. Office boys twelv,
or thirteen years Of age, studying
shorthand or going 10 school part Of
the time, have been ra sed from s35 and
$40 a month to as high as $50 AM 800.
and IL man cases men in subordinate
positions have received 8 higher sal.
ny an their superiors
These inequa tiles have added grosziv
70 the cost o. operation Of the railroads
nave cleatec unrest and have Fad usl
effect up.n the morale Of the s s,r5ee
.1en constantly are being taken ost a
one c ass and placed in higher SIX .e.
c.ass. Foc '-stance, men engaged #;
cleaning Pullman cars were taken ous
o the ordinary day IaLor class ana
placed IA the Ass o: expert upho.-
sterers and heir pay raised nom
40 cents to 6s cents an hour. This Is
going on all over the country"
The Senator SUBMITTED a statement
sho ling she annua. compensation o.
various classes of einplos eos and tha
increases in their salaries during 1915,
1917, 1919
1919 Increase ~ Per Cent
"Thc increases in she salaries Of en-
p o. ees dullng l9lJ. he contir4eG,
compared with the Year 1915. am. -a,-
ed % l2-i per cent ard rs compa ID
with the year 1917 A.. per cent Th'
does not include the so 000 600 z .ev
the shopme-. in the way of increases
which tie dirccta3 gese4a has pu. la.o
effect since Ju!I |. 1919.
But his statement does not show
that ! consider the most uniustihaae
phase Of rec assincation in many cas-
This is general aGes-the on.y Wa.
the information can .e procured. To
get this rec sihcation one must 50
through thousands Of orders"
IL was announced to night the con-
! ierences between raj. road brotherhood
leaders and Director General Hines on
wages and wo king conditions went
continue next Tuesday. Mr.. Hines WAS
SAID 70 have conceded today some
the union demands. Union officials wi
lay the new basis before their exeeu-
{ w m i.+ooc