St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-22
THE CAR ACCOUNTANTS.
Something About Their Duties and
Their Annual Conventions.

Something About Their Duties and
Their Annual Conventions.
The special train bearing the members of
the Car Accountants association left Chi
cago yesterday afternoon at p. m. on the
Chicago & Northwestern road and will ar
rive at Minneapolis this morning at Z
O'Clock. The train, consisting of six
Wagner sleeping cars, brings about one
hundred members of the association (rep-
resenGng as many different raihoads), with
their families who come to Minneapolis to
hold their
TENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION.
An advance guard arrived yesterday
afternoon over the Minneapolis & ST. Louis
road consisting of IL. w. Pratt, of the st.
Louis, Keokuk s. Northwestern road; E.
Buckingham, of the Union Pacific; J. S.
Bullock, of the Mobile & Ohio; Ii. S.
Wagner, Of the st. Louis & San Francisco;
r. Peckham, of the Chesapeake & Ohio, and
II. P Moore. of the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy. The headquarters of the aSSOcia-
ton will be at the West hotel, where rooms
for the party have been reserved. The
program for the week is as follows:
Monday-Afternoon excursion to Mime
haha falls, compliments of the Chicago, Mil
waukee s. St. Paul railway.
Tuesday-MOrning and afternoon, conven-
ton at the West hotel.
MISUNDERSTANDING and afternoon, con-
vention at West hotel; evening, entertain
ment at Grand opera house.
Thursday-Morning, excursion to Lakes
Calhoun and Harriet and Fort Smelling, com
pliments of the Minneapolis, Lyndale & Min
netonka railway; afternoon, carriage drive
about Minneapolis.
Friday-All day excursion to Lake Mime
tonka, compliments of the Minneapolis 81 ST.
Louis, St. Paul, Minneapolis s. Manitoba
roads, and steamer City of St. Louis.
Saturday-MOrning, carriage drive about
st. Paul.
THE ASSOCIATION
is not beneficiary one in the usual sense OF
the word, although highly beneficial in its
results. 1t is organized for the purpose OF
improving and perfecting the vast system
of freight transportation, which includes
every section of the United States and Can
ada. The duties of a car accountant are to
keep account or trace of not only the cars
belonging to his own company, but
of all cars passing over his own line. When
one stops to think of the thousands and
thousands of freight cars thus accounted fol
each day of the year some idea of the multi
tudinOuS duties of car accountant can be
gained. Each day the accountant must
know the location and condition of each
car how far it has travelled, whether it is
loaded or empty, the names of the cOnduc-
tor and engineer in charge, etc. He must
also keep track of the cars of his company
which have gone upon other roads, and may
be thousands of miles away. and secure
their return. If car is lost he must find it,
or if damaged see that it shall be repaired.
Upon the principle that two heads are bet
ter than one, these meetings, which bring
together accountants representing the diff
ferent roads of the country, have been found
to be OF great usefulness in improving the
service. The accountants meet and
discuss suggestions. compare notes, and
agree upon matters of mutual interest.
Ideas crop out which lead to the curtail-
ment OF SuperfluOuS routine, or to the adOp-
ton of easier and quicker methods to ac-
complish work, the end in view being to
serve more satisfactorily. An idea of the
aims and purposes of the association can be
formed from glance at
THE SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION.
First-Reports of committees ON master car
builders; on managers of fast freight lines: on
the adoption of a standard junction report:
on full mileage on car bodies, and a uniform
rate of mileage for passenger equipment; on
New England clearing house; on record of
switched citrS, on DeSG means OF cOrdlng cars
on plan for numbering railroads; on per diem
charge for cars: on distribution of cars.
Second-Diversion of Cars-Should not q
penalty be attached for diversion of foreign
cars from their legitimate route?
Tbird-Return Of Foreign Cars to Owners
Al things being equal should not empty for
eign cars be returned to owners direct in
stead of to connecting lines from which re-
ceived?
Fourth-Holding Foreign Cars for Lading-
Should foreign cars, during the busy season,
be held for more than two days awaiting lad
ing?
withdrawing Car Agents-Are they a
necessity? Suggested by a general mana
GER.
Sfxth-General Clearing House-would not