Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-12
HINES ORDERS
INCREASE IN RAIL
WORKERS WAGES
Average Advance in Pay Pei
Man Will Be Approx
mately $3.50 Per Year
and Overtime.

Washington, April 1I.-Wage ad-
vances aggregating $65,000,000 were
ordered today by Director General
Hines for 100000 railroad engineers
flrcmcn. trainmen and conductors in
both passenger and freight service,
members OF the Big Four railwa.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. since jan
uary /, 1919. The brotherhood de-
mand for time and a half pay for
overtime was granted only for men
engaged in yard service and for the
others this question was referred
TO the railroad administration
board Of adjustment No. l, already
created for consideration of dis
putes relating to railway trainmen
and enginemen.
The average advance in pay per
man per year will be about $3.50.
Completes Cycle.
This action practically completed
the war cycle of wage increases
granted railroad men since the gov
eminent 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 ~ the
railroad administration to the 2,000,-
600 railroad employees is at the rate
Of $822,3ll,000 year. more than
$500 average per man. Thus the
total payroll Of Americas railroads
is raised nearly to $3,000000,000
year from the basis of approximate
ly $1,000 100000 on January |, 1918.
Increases Total $500.
The $65,000,0O0 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 approximate
1y S275,000000, or approximately
5000 per man.
In the first general wage advance
made by the railroad administration
following the recommendation of
the railroad wage commission ap-
proximately $400.000,000 year was
distributed among the railroad EN-
ployes. About $l40.000,000 of this
went to trainmen and enginemen
and about $260,000,000 to other en-
ployes. On supplemental orders,
about Sl50,00000O was added to
payrolls OF the shopmen, about the
same to maintenance of-way men
and clerks, and about $45,000,000 to
telegraphers and station agents.
Expect More Advances.
Comparatively small increases in
pay are expected soon for dining
car and sleeping car employees.
Railroad companies estimate the
wage increases at nearly $l0O,OO0,0QO
more than the railroad administra-
ton.
Railroad accountants calculate
that about 81 ,000,000000 a year will
Be forthcoming from the rate in
crease last year. The railroad ad-
ministration's figures today on wage
additions indicate that more than
so per cent OF this is eaten up in
wages.
Discussing, the effect of wages
on operating costs his year, Mr..
Hines said in making public the or
der that through the elimination
of overtime, which will be unneces-
sary under peace conditions and
through ability to regain experienced
employees who were lost during the
war, the total increase in wages
would be substantially less on the
same volume of business than the
foregoing based on the calendar
year 1918 would indicate, and of
course, the increase will be less if
the volume of business is less"
Explains Controversy.
Explaining the unsettled contro-
versy over time and half for over
erals statement said:
"The train and enginemen earnest
~ insist that.they should be paid
time and a half for overtime in road
service Gnstead of pro-rata over
time) for any excess time for fail
ure to maintain speed of 20 miles
per hour in passenger service and
l2H miles an hour in road service,
claiming that this is strictly, an
alogous to the allowance of punitive
MsI.l. r