Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-11
TOTAL RAISE
AMOUNTS TO
$65,OOO,OOO
New Increase Effective
Jan. 1, last; Yard Work
ers Get Time and Half

Washington, April 11-Wage
advances aggregating $65,G00,-
900 were ordered today by Di-
rector General Hines for f0G,-
900 railroad engineers, fire.
men, trainmen and conductors
i'm both passenger and freight
serVIce-members OF the big
four railway brOtherhOOds-
retroactive since Jan. l, 1919.
The brotherhood demand for time
&and half pay for overtime
Nas granted to only those men en-
gagged in yard service and FOR the
others this question was referred
TO the railroad administration s
board of adjustment No. l, already
created for consideration of dis
pates relating to railway trainmen
and enginemen.
These increases were arranged
according to a contemplated sche1-
ule, one of the aims of which was
to preserve the wage scale exist
ing before the railroad increase in
wages last year.
Completes Wage Boosting.
This action practically completed
the war cycle of wage increases
granted railroad men since the gov
ernment took over management of
the roads Is months ago Only a
few minor requests for more pay
remain to be acted upon.
Including today's order, the ag-
gregate pay increases allowed by
the railroad administration to the
100000 railroad employees is at the
rate of 22,%il 900 a year, more
than S400 average per man. Thus
the total pav roll of Americas rail-
roads is raised nearly to $3,00O,-
100000 a year from the basis of ap-
proximately $4,000 10000 on Jan.
l, 1918, when the roads passed into
the governments hands
The $4,000, 900 added to the pay
rolls of members Of the Big Four"
brotherhoOds brings the total
granted this class of employees in
the last three years to approx
mstely $275, 100000, or approximate
>Ty $500 per man. Back pay for work
aimee Jan. l will be given the
brotherhoods as soon as railway
paymasters can work out the
amount due.
$3.50 Raise in Three Years.
In the first general wage advance
made by the railroad administra-
ton following the recommenda-
tions of the railroad wage commits
sion approximately $40O, 900 900 a
year was distributed among the
railroad employees. About $14O.-
100000 of this went to trainmen
and enginemen and about $260,0O0.-
600 to other employees. On sup
Elemental orders about $3.50, 900 900
was added to the pay rolls of the
shopmen, about the same to main
teDance of way men and clerks, and
about $45,000, ,000 to telegraphers
and station agents Railroad ac-
cOuntantS calculated that 1916 and
1917, the years Immediately preced-
ing government control, the rail
way companies increased wages
$350,000,00. With the $S22 900 900
added by the railroad administra-
ton, the aggregate advance of rail-
road mems wages in three years is
set at approximately 81 1,172 900 600,
or about $3.50 per man. The rail
road pay roll in 1917 was calcu-
lated at $1,75O,00O, 900, in 1918 at
$2,53S 900 900, and this year at
$2,822, 100000.
Comparatively small increases
in pay are expected soon for din
ing car and sleeping car employees.
Rail Company Estimates High.
Railroad companies estimate the
wage increases at nearly $10O, O,0O0,-
900 more than the railroad admin
istration.
Railroad accountants calculate
that about 81, 200, 900 600 a year will
be forthcoming from the rate in
crease last year. The railroad ad-
ministration's figures today en-
wage additions indicates that more
than so per cent of this is taken up
in