The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-12-19
FRENCH RAILWAY STATISTICS.
Work and Wages Discussed by Consul
General G0wdy. -

Work and wages on French railways
are briefly discussed by United States
Consul General John X. Gowdy of Paris,
in United States consular reports. He
puts the total length of railways and
steam and electric tramways in France
at about "a 100 miles. According to the
Latest published returns those lines, in the
year, carried 4O1.793,773 passengers;
each traveller averaging 1914 miles and
spending II cents. OF this total 81 per
cent. were tirst-class passengers, and
304 per cent. second-class. These roads
carried in total 12O,38O,479 tons of goods;
with each ton conveyed an average dis
lance Of 81 miles, at rate little less
than ~ cents per ton-mile. The total
receipts from passengers and freightEwere
$40, 772,035, leaving net profit of $780,
731 ,402. The average ratio Of expenses
to profit was 51.3 to 1877. There were
26S, 12S employees of all classes, including
2G,754 women. 1t is difficult to give ex-
act wages, as salaries are regulated by
location-even upon the same line. 1t is
stated, however, that as a general figure
the station and track men receive from
$3.50 to $2S.O6 per month; the engine
! driver, $36 per month and his reward"
for saving coal, etc., usually amounting
to $14 more: frcmen on the locomotives,
about $25, plus $3.50 extra. foreman
in the shops receives as much as $3.50
per month: and ordinary shop workman,
$780,, and an apprentice, $14 per month.
OF 1928 men working on the principal
railways, 50 per cent. receive from $16.59
to $26:05 per month, and 81 per cent.
from $1S:ao to 81 $31:A per month a+h These g
from to ~ hours per day. About Is
per cent of the total are also lodged.
The large majority Of the women are EN-
ployed as gate keepers at grade crossings,
and they receive very little salary; over
one-third Of the 1870 women IT. tl HG en-
month; half receive from 1870 to $3.50,
and only 6O1 receive from $7.01 to .$1O.61
per month. Only five women receive az
much as $26 to $32 per month.-Engin"
cering News.
The contractor for the building of the
made the somewhat startling statement
that owing to the great developments Of
the electric art now going on, a genera
ton of electricity was not now over
three years, whereas when he had origin
ally figured on the work it was consider
ed to be at least seven yeurs. The great
advance in the design and construction
of an electrical equipment for the pro-
luction and utilization of electric power
for tractive purposes has enhanced the
cost of equipment to such an extent that
although the contractor in question had
talent in the preparation of his original
estimates, he now finds that the actual
cost for the equipment will exceed the
estimate by many millions of dollars.
This experience, however, is not alto
gether peculiar to electric traction equip
mcnts. for. there is probably no large
electric light or power company in ex-
istence. with operations extending back
over fifteen or eighteen years. that has
not found it essential to change it's en-
tire system two or three times in that
period.-Cassicrs Magazine.