Railway Wage Commission



The Railway Wage Commission was a United States federal agency established in 1918 during World War I within the United States Railroad Administration.

History
The commission was authorized by President Woodrow Wilson on January 18, 1918 to examine the wages and working time of railroad employees.

In February 1918 the commission was petitioned by railroad workers to pay time and a half for work over an eight-hour day. Speaking on behalf of employers was E.F. Potter, assistant to the general manager of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad. The commission created the Board Of Railroad Wages And Working Conditions on May 25, 1918 to hear complaints about wages and safety. The board was dissolved on April 1, 1920.

Commissioners

 * James Harry Covington
 * Franklin Knight Lane
 * Charles Caldwell McChord of the Interstate Commerce Commission
 * William Russell Willcox
 * William A. Ryan
 * Frederick William Lehmann.