The Mena weekly star., 1920-08-12
30 MILLIONS FOR
 EXPRESS WORKERS
United States Railway Lobor Board Awards SO,OOO Employees Increase of 16 Cents Per Hour-Retro-
 active to May.

Chicago, Aug. 10-Thirty million dollars today was added to the na- tion's express bill when the United States railway labor board awarded the United States railway labor board awarded the S0,O00 employees of the American Railway Express company an increase of Is cents an hour.
 The decision is retroactive to May l, 1920.
 Under the terms of the Esch-Cum- mins transportation act, the express company will be permitted to raise it's rates sufficiently to meet the increas- ed labor cost Arguments in the rate case already have been presented be- fore the interstate commerce com mission at Washington.
 Today's award doesn't go into the question of rules and working condi- tions. AS was the case last month when the board granted a $600,000,- 900 increase to railway employees, it was announced that a decision cover ing new working rules would be hand ed down later
 The express decision applies to all express employers, with the exception of 2,500 shopmen who received an in- crease of 13 cents an hour on the railway award last month. The IS cents an hour award is slightly better than the average increase to the rail- road men, the board finding that ex- press employees as class were not so WIG in nf lf railroad work.
 decision. They are:
 The Brotherhood of railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees.
 The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers of America.
 The Railway Express Drivers, Chauffeurs and Conductors, Local No. 720 of Chicago.
 The Order of Railway Expressmen.
 For the purpose of the award the board divided express employees in five classes, but the increase granted was in each case the same, 16 cents an hour. Messengers and other em- ployes in the train service, whose hours are computed on a basis of a 240-hour month will receive an in- crease of $3S.40. All other employees working on the 2e4-hour per month basis will receive $32.64 more. The board directs that payment from May l to August 31 shall be made separate ly from the September checks, in or der that the employees may know the exact amount of back pay received.
 Describing conditions in the ex- press service, the board states in it's decision:
 fAs in the case of the railroad em- ploye, this long delay and succession of disappointments (referring to the unsuccessful efforts of the men to get an increase early in spring) coupled with the pressure of further rise in living costs. produced, deep and not unreasonable satisfaction on the part of express employees, even to greater degree than upon many of the railroad employees as the wages paid to the ex- press employees were generally less than those paid for analogous service by railroads and in many other indus tries. The express employees thus felt that the service called upon them 10 make sacrifices, as they believed far beyond those of any other class. For these reasons, and as a measure of justice, 1t was decided that this de- cision, when made, would be effective as of May l, 1920, and that the in- crease herein specified should be slightly ia excess Of those decided upon for railroad employees perform ing similar service'