The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-18
RAILROAD Men
GRANTED A
WAGE INCREASE
Maintenance Of Way
Employees to Re-
ceive Advance o {
Two Cents an Hour

Chicago, Oct. 1.-THE wage bill
Of the nations railroads was IN
creased an estimated s22,125.N6 by
a decision of the United States
railroad labor board today grant
ing increased pay of two cents an
hour to over 100000 maintenance
of way employees. .
sFour:of nine groups Of the Unit
ed Brotherhood of Maintenance of
Way Employees. Railroad Shop
workers were affected by the raise,
the largest single group being com
mon 1aborers. The decision raised
minimum rates Of pay for the class
es affected from the present 90 and
35 cents to 25 and 81 GEMS.
Chairman Ben w. Hooper in a
statement following the decision
said that the board based its find
ing on a. general upward trend in
wages for this and other groups OF
workers and not only pronounceG
change in living costs.
The maintenance Of way officers
in presenting their -cases to the
board several weeks ago demand
ed a virtual minimum wage OF 81
cents an hour. .,,ss:ss:: !.
The pubic group eoday was aug
mented after a tensday deadlock
by. w. L. EMcMenimen OF the labor
group ard Samuel Higgins Of the
railroad group, these two making
the necessary five to make the
public groups proposal effective:
Chairman Hooper said that the ae-
tual decision would be presented to
the board Monday. the. document
not yet having been formally hand
ed down. A. o. Wharton, OF. the
labor group refused to vote on to-
days decision and it is possible
that both the members Of the rail.
road and labor groups may file dis:
,senting opinions. 49,
Today's. decision was a direct
outgrowth of the July wage Gnts
and the rail strikes and threaten
ed strikes which followed. When
the sop crafts strike. was declar-
ed. the maintenance Of way men
were also on the verge of: walking
out but E. F. Cradle, head OF the
organization, withheld action pend
ing an appeal to the labor board
for a revision Of wages. In this
appeal Cradle asked a virtual min
imum of Al cents an hour.
In making the decision public.
Chairman Hooper explained that
about 1900 maintenance OF way
employees on roads in the extreme
South will stili receive from AZ to
% cents an hour, they having sign
ed agreements with the carriers to
this effect and not being affected
by today.s ruling
According to figures. compiled by
the railroads and submitted to the
board during hearings a plurality
Of about $4,000 trackmen on s5
per cent. of the carriers are now
receiving between 25 and 36 cents
an hour.
The classes of employees who
will receive pay increases through
today's decision include section;
track and maintenance foremen and
assistant .foremen, track laborers
in the maintenance of way depart
ment and around shops and round
houses, draw bridge tenders and
assistants, pile drivers. ditching
and hosting hremen, pumper engi-
neers and bumpers, crossing. watch.
men, lamplighters and tenders, en-
CINE watchemn and wipers, f1re
builders, ash pit men, fue borers,
coal passers and miscellaneous
classes of foremen and other en-
ployees.
Among those isnot affected are
mechanics and helpers in the bridge
and building and maintenance OF