New-York tribune., 1919-08-26

fair for the general public, subversivs
OF the efforts which the government is
making to reduce the cost of living, and
injurious to railroad employees them
selves for the railroad administration
at this time TO adopt the principle Of
moving up wages Of all railroad en-
ployes so as to reflect the highest point
yet reached in the high cost of living
"Such action would mean inevita-
bly, an increase in freight rates, which
would stimulate an Increase in the cost
of everything consumed by the pub
lie. and would give lnnumorable pre-
texts for covering up additional un-
warranted increases in prices on the
claim that such increases will be neces-
STATED by the increased cost of rail
road transportation
He Makes Recommendation
After discussing and defending the
governments policy in regard to the
wages of railroad employees, Mr.. Hines
makes the following recommendations
Tor an increase to the shopmen based
upon the principle of ten hours pay
for eight hours work:
There has been insistcnt contentious
that while all other classes of railroad
employees have had their wages ad-
Justed in such manner that they received
ceiving ten hours pay Gin the prc-war
period) for eight hours work, this same
treatment was not accorded to the shop
men. While it has been urged with equal
lnslstence that the shopmen got offset
ing advantages, it seems to me it is
true that in this specific matter the
shopmen did not receive the benefit of
equal treatment. On that account it
seems to me fair in all the circum-
stances to recognize this condition by
giving the shop employees a rate of IL
cents instead Of GS cents for the classes
now receiving IS cents
"Under Supplement- to General Or
der 27 and an addendum to that sup
plement, two different rates nave been
provided for car rcpairers, one a rate
OF G3 cents for steel freight car repair
men and another a rate OF SO cents for
wooden freight car repalrmen. This
distinction has been difficult to MAIN
tain and has been tie source of dissat-
isfaction, and there is general agree
ment among the members of the wage
board that the condition ought 30 be
rcmedied (although the labor repre-
sentatives think it ought to be rene
died by increasing the rates for all car
rcpairers to the highest rates).
Rate for Car Repairers
tuc4clOTc COllCluQc tlldt, except AS
stated below, the rate for all frci ght
car repairmcn who by Supplement- 1 to
General Order q and the addcndum
thereto were intended to receive either
5S cents or Sc cents shall receive 81
cents per hour. There has been great
dissatisfaction because car inspectors
generally have received only the rate
of SO cents, Notwithstanding the fact
that steel freight car rcpairmen have
received the rate of 63 cents. My con
cluson is that. except as below stated,
car inspectors hould receive the same
rate as above indicated for freight car
repairmen, and therefore should re-
ceive 81 cents per hour.
"Thc exceptions above referred TO. as
to freight car repair men and as TO car
inspectors, arc as TO such employees
at outlying points other than shops and
main line terminals, at which points the
work, generally speaking, is not CON
tinuous. The increase for freight car
repair men. and car inspectors at such
outlying points will be four cents per
hour. The determination as TO The
points where the. freight car repair
men and car inspectors, Who according
to this principle, get only the four
cents increase, viii he taken up in con-
ference with the representative OF the
shopmen, with view to arriving at d
reasonable and definite working rule.
'As TO all other classes covered by
supplement- No. and not above speciii-
carly dealt with, the rate Of increase
shall be four cents an hour
Mr.. Hines recommended that the IN
creases be made retroactive TO May /,
1919