Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-07
OF ICIALS HERE
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF ROCK
ISLAND SYSTEM INSPECT
LOCAL PROPERTY.

LOCAL PROPERTY.
Needed Repairs spok, Of and Addl-
ton to Local Freight House Was
Considerable. w. Robnson's Mail
Run Railroad Age Favors Check
Ottumwa was visited Tuesday by
some of the highest officials of the
Rock Island Road The property of
that system in this city was thorough
ly Inspected and notations of needed
repairs were taken, among which was
discussed the ACCESSIBILITY of remodel
ing and enlarging the local freight
house, which has long been INSULT
Client to accomm odate the business in
and out of this city A special train
Of five private cars. bearing the Off
Gals arrived here late in the after
noon from the north. From here the
train proceeded to Keokuk. We'd
nesday morning at 2 o'clock
the train passed through again
en- route for Des Moines. Among the
prominent officials in the party were:
President. B. l.. Winchell. First Vice
President H. Nudge, Freight Traffic
] Manager ]. F. Holden. Chief Engineer
H. M. White. Assistant Chief Engineer
G. Davis, General Passenger Agent L..
M. Allen, Passenger Traffic Manager
John Sebastian, General Manager F.
o. Melcher, General Superintendent
Northern District C. H. Hubhell and
w. H. Given, superintendent of the
Des Moines Valley division.
Changes Among Conductors.
The resignation of M. w. Robinson
from the position of trainmaster of the
Burlington at Ottumwa and his return
! to the train service has caused quite
little interchange among passenger
conductors on this line. M. w. Robin
son takes the mail run carried by
Frank Clark of Burlington. Clark will
take Willis Robinson's run en- the pas
senger pool, Willis Robinson taking
the place of Conductor Cal Bird also
| of Burlington, on the Carthage run.
Yesterday morning the change went
into effect.
Advantages Of Pay Checks.
The Railway Age of Chicago has
written to the officers of the principal
railroads of the country on the sub
ject of the abandonment of the pay
car in favor of the check system. That
the latter system is considered prefer
| able is shown in the Railway Age of
recent date as follows:
AN attempt is here made to assem-
Bile the arguments that have been sug-
gested against and in favor of each Of
the several methods of payment. 1t Is
recognized that some of the objections
! to any given form of disbursement
which are apparent in one section of
the country might be largely modified
or even nullified under the conditions
| existing in another section, or that
I which is the best practice for one road
+ might not prove. to be the highest
+ economy for another; yet many. of the
/ points raised are of general applica-
bility.
! In replying to the question as to
their reasons for preferring the check
the statements of the advocates of the
\ check system have been generally
categorical, or at least brief The
+, elimination of the danger of risk by
robbery of the car by bandits has
been chiefly emphasized. Where the
adoption Of the c..eck system has been
/ considered, the alternative to the use
of the pay car, the change has been
made to avoid the direct expense of
operating pay train, to avoid inter
ruption to other traffic and wrecks
likely to result from the operation of
a wild train. Among the other sug-
That the check is more convenient for
I, to11 ~,
checks on the same day. that there
is no chance for loss, as the checks
are balanced with the pay rolls before
being sent OUT that the treasurer is
j relieved of the necessity of concentrat-
ing cash funds from his various de-
positories at headquarters where it
can be handled in arranging payment
for the pay train The treasurer of
the Southwestern system writes that
he prefers the check system because
he gets two receipts practically from
each employe. His pay checks or pay
drafts are drawn to order, and are
therefore in the safest form for the
company and for the employee.
''He adds: The company avoids the
, danger of loss by felonious attempts
to rob the pay car and saves money
considerations which more than com.
/ pensate for few days time saved in
putting pay into employees hands by
the cash system 1t is suggested by
another official that checks are an ad
vantage to banks and merchants along
the line, although still another says:
| The check is the better method al
: though in small places the currency is
much needed
) THE experience of one system OF
:. Western trunk lines, which for many
/ years used the pay car to disburse cur
rency, and later to distribute checks
: and then to discontinue the use of the
3 car except for precautionary trips
: was that when the pay car was uset
many employees were compelled Il
l wait from ten to thirty days for theil
] money after they had earned it. Thi!
e delay seemed inevitable on so extend
. ed system and contributed serious
i objection. Under the present system
G oboolyc proporod ,,nder very 1itt1o c1or