The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-03
PAY OF RAILROAD MEN IS
HIGHER THAN in DECEMBER, 1917

Chicago, July 2.-The cut of about
$185, 5000, 900 in the wages of some
100000 railroad employees, which
became effective at the same time
that 10 per cent cut in freight rates
amounting to about 100000, 900 went
into effect, still leaves hourly wages
measured in actual buying power
above the wages of December, 1917,
just before governmental control, ac-
cording to figures compiled by the
United States railroad labor board.
Machinists, who are among the shop
crafts employees on strike, were cut
Z cents an hour. They averaged 77.3
cents and now average 70.3 cents. In
1917 the rate was sos, the newly
hourly rate being 80 per cent higher.
Cost of living, according to board fig
ures, is II per cent higher than in
December, 1917. The board figures
the new hourly rate for machinist 10
per cent greater in real purchasing
power than in December, 1917.
Car men, cut cents an hour, now
have an average hourly wage of GA
cents as compared with 37.7 cents in
December, 1917, the board figures
show. This represents a net increase
of II per cent in coin, an advance of
46.7 per cent in actual purchasing
power Of the hourly wage, the board
maintains.
Average hourly earnings of machin-
lists, according to the boards figures,
are 10 cents an hour less than under
the peak rate established by the board
in May, 1920, but the real value is
figured as per cent greater due to
the drop in the cost of living.
Average earnings Of car men are
figured as 1876 cents an hour less thar
in May, 1920, but buying power is
given as 3.2 per cent greater for the
same reason.
According to labor statistics COM
mon labor in maintenance of way in
1917 averaged 1913 cents an hour It
was chopped S cents and now aver
ages 1927 cent, an increase of about 70
per cent in coin and 45 per cent in
buying power over the 1917 wage
scale. Clerks in 1917, the boards Ia
bic show, received 34.5 cents an hour
average. Most of them are cut cents
and now get 58.5 cents an hour, this
representing 70 per cent more than
the hourly rate of 1917 and purchas-
ing value Of AT per cent higher.
Common labor around stations av-
eraged 22.4 cents an hour in 1917 rose
to 52.1 cents in 1920, was cut to 43.6
cents in 1921 and the new rates 1916
cents an hour. This, the board con-
tends, is IT'S per cent higher than in
1917 and the purchasing value is 51.5
per cent higher.
Signal men and assistants averaged
39.2 In 1917. Yesterdays cent cut
puts the average at 64.3 cents an
hour, the board says, this representing
wage figured in actual money, sc
per cent higher than in 1917 and hav-
ing purchasing power CT per cent
higher.
Stationary firemen and engine room
oilers average 21.8 cents an hour in
1917 and the latest cut leaves their
earnings at 1915 cents. This is an
increase of 1877 per cent in coin and
is 94 per cent greater in buying pow
er, the board maintains.
The national industrial conference
board has made comparison of the
new wage rates with those in 1914
using its own cost of living index 1t
placed the average earnings of the
four main groups which had their
wages cut at about 10 per cent higher
than n 1914, measured in buying
power.