Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-05
NEW SYSTEM OF CAR SERVICE
Railroads Switch from Mileage to Per Diem
Basis for Payment.
IBETTER SHOW FOR OWNER OF CARS
Plan Recently Adopted Will Provide
Fixed CharRe for Use of BOr-
rOwed Rolling stock on
Certain Figure.

In Omaha today will be held a meet
ing Of operating officials OF a dozen
railroads Of this western territory for the
purpose Of interpreting locally the new per
diem car service agreement of the Amer
lean Railway association. This will be
easily the most important conference held
in Omaha for a long time, as the change to
the per diem system from the mileage sys-
tenn Of car service is a most radical and
sweeping one.
Heretofore, for thirty years and more.
the railways Of the United States have used
the mileage system. BY this a railroad
which is using the cars belonging to an
other line pays for them at so much q mile
used, IN mills a mile having been the rate
of recent years. The new scheme will COM
bel the roads to pay for these foreign line
lcars at so much for every day they keep
them. Twenty cents a day is 70 be the
price at the start, with a probable reduc-
ition after the plan gets in good working
order.
Borrower Had Control.
The objection to the old scheme was that
Ahe road which had the cars had the whip
hand all the time. 1t was left entirely to
that road to report TO the road owning the
cars how many miles they we're moved,
whether 100 or none at all, and the owning
roads considered that they we're in many
cases subjected to Misrepresentation Of the
actual use of the cars, while they had no
way to ascertain or keep track for them
selves, IL being impossible TO send a man
along with every car sent out. According
TO the new scheme the road sending out a
car to another line will simply mark the
date OF its departure and that Of its return,
and charge the regular rate for each day
intervening. whether the car moved or not.
For many years the American Railway
association has been endeavoring to secure
a method Of exchangeable car service more
satisfactory than the mileage plan. The as
sociation holds meetings twice q year, and
the matter has often been agitated at these.
Finally on April "a last. at the last regular
meeting. the per diem plan was adopted by
IA large majority vote, a great proportion OF
the railroads OF the country entering upon
1.-THE method. II is to go into general effect
July /, and the meeting here Thursday is
that the roads hereabouts may enter upon
a common understanding OF tie agreement.
Those VINO VIII Come.
General managers, superintendent or
operating oflcials Of some sort from all
the roads playing into Omaha, and In some
eases several representatives from each,
will attend the meeting. Many Of them
are already gathering. among the outsiders
Ewho were In the city today being c. M.
hRathbun of Atchison. Kan. division SUI
kperintendent Of the Missouri Pacific rail-
lway, Superintendent OF transportation w.
10. Watrous Of the same road from st.
Louis, and Division superintendent H. c.
kEarling Of the Chicago & Council Bluffs d.
Vision Of the Chicago. Milwaukee & st.
Paul road from Marion Ia, with these men
Twill meet General Manager Dickinson and
Superintendent of transportation Bucking-
tham of the Union Pacific railway, General
sManager Holdrege Of the Burlington, and
General Manager Bidwell and General Su-
bperintendent Hughes Of the Fremont, Elk
horn and Missouri Valley railroad, besides
tothers yet unknown.
At Kansas City will be held a similar
and simultaneous meeting Thursday, the
participants being the representatives Of
Lthe roads running into that center.
Western Car Service Association.
A meeting Of the executive committee OF
Ahe Western Car Service association was
bheld in the ONCE Of General Manager Dick
tinson OF the Union Pacific railway yester-
day morning. Those present were G. w.
kLoomis, chief clerk to General Manager
Holdrege of the Burlington; C. M. Rath-
bun, division superintendent OF the Mis-
Isourl Pacific railway at Atchison. Kan.
III. b. Earling, division superintendent OF
Sfhe Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad
at Marion, Ia, and Mr.. Dickinson.
This session was preliminary to the gen.
ieral meeting OF the Western Car Service
association, which occurs today. At
that time several matters OF considerable
importance to the roads OF the association
will come up as a result Of the coming
adoption OF the per diem car service system
on July 1. There must be some scheme OF
adjustment adopted for governing the treat
ment OF cars which will be out at the time
when the change Is made.
This will be the last meeting OF the as
Bociation before July 1, so all arrangements
must be made at this time. A large attend
ance of railroad representatives Is antlci-
pated, and the executive committee yester-