The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-23
COMING TO SEE.
Rock Island OniciaIs Inspecting West
ern Property.

News reached Topeka today that the
special train of five private cars hav-
ing on board the Rock Island officials
would pass through Topeka on next
Monday, at noon.
The train consists of the private car
of L. A Morse, chairman of the execu-
tive committee of the board of direc-
tors, the private car of President B. L.
chairman of the board, R. R. Gable, the
private car of ]. F. Stevens, second vice
president, and the car of Judge Moore,
one of the stockholders Of the COM
pany.
The party also includes passenger
traffic manager, John Sebastian, Cen
eral Freight Traffic Manager J. F. Hol-
den, both of Chicago; M. A. Low, gen
eral attorney of Topeka, together with
several other officials of the operating
and traffic departments.
The party has been making q tour of
inspection of the Rock Island lines, and
is now returning to the east after a
trip to Colorado where a pleasure trip
was made over the completed portion of
the new Moffat scenic and short line to
Salt Lake city.
The party was to have passed through
Topeka g. week ago, but the plans were
changed and the trip was made via
Rock Island, Omaha and Belleville to
Denver.
The Rock Island officials have been
making thorough inspection of all the
lines and properties of the company.
not made known their intention of Wis
iting Topeka to the business interests of
the city and it is not known at this
time whether anything will be done for
their entertainment here or not. Very
probably nothing will be done, for it is
likely that the party will remain in To-
peka but q very few minutes.
The Rock Island has put into effect
on the Kansas division drastic meas
ureS of retrenchment.
This week the section gangs, it is re-
ported have all been reduced on the
Kansas division so that now there are
very few sections where more than the
foreman and one man are employed.
Ordinarily there are from eight to ten
men employed on each section.
The Rock Island machine shops were
started at Goodland, Kansas, this week
with a small number of men employed
and the Horton shops nave again been
closed, throwing out of employment
The same policy is being carried out
on the other divisions of the road, it is
reported here.
1t is rumored in Rock Island circles
that this severe retrenchment is caused
on account of a poor financial showing
as regards earnings during the month
of August, ordinarily considered a good
month.
1t is rumored that the operating ex-
penses greatly exceeded the earnings
of the road during August. The truth
of the staetn1ent cannot be vouched for
but the fact that expenses are De1ng
curtailed by the wholesale dismissal of
workmen is considered as an evidence
that there is something to the rumor.
Quite a number of men employed in
the work locally have been dismissed
and the three ballasting gangs which
have been employed west of Topeka
have been released.
Some person with a penchant for fig
ureS has reported that the added ex-
pense of operation caused by the crea-
tfon of new offices for new officials
since Pennsylvania methods have been
on the Rock Island makes
a total of about 100000 per year. A
new system of rules and regulat atoms
have recently been adopted and placed
into effect on the Rock Island which it
is also reported mas made an added ex-
pense of $1OO 600 for the purposes of
both of which sums make
material differences in the showing of
expenses in the operating department
of the road.