Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-11
AUDITOR SCHEME
IS SATISF ACTORY
PLAN is LIKED By THE OFFICIALS
OF THE BURLINGTON
SYSTEM
Rock Island Men Think Method of
Bonding Employees Is the Best
What the Railroad Gazette Has to
Say-other Railroad Notes.


The Burlington railroad is one OF
the many of the large railroads which
is at present trying the train auditor
scheme of keeping check on conduc-
tors. According to local officials the
scheme. which has been in vogue for
the past two months on the Burlington
road, Is working most satisfactorily.
whether it is the best method or not
seems to be a question in the minds
OF the officials Of different railroad
systems.
The RsSk Island does. not use it
nor dosgs,ythe Milwaukee. Both these
loads rond their employees, those that
have the handling Of the money of the
7ystem. According to statement of
ne Of the local officers of the Rock
Island, their system is the best. That
[ is the bonding of employees. The audi
tor scheme was tried during the ad
ministration of President w. F. Loree
and was abandoned two years ago as
not being practicable. The system in
use now under President B. T. Win
&chell is, the official states, the finest
Oh earth for any roalroad system.
EVERY employee of the Rock Island who
has paid bond premiums for three
years, prior to January 1, 1905, are ex-
empt from now on and the company
carries the premium.
At any rate the subject has caused
considerable discussion among rail-
following clipping taken from a recent
issue of the Railroad Gazette will no
doubt prove Of interest.
Difference Between Them.
The only difference between train
collector and train auditor appears
to be that the collector is regular
and constant employee on the train to
which he is assigned, while the audi
tor is an occasional collector. In view
of the recent employment Of auditors
on a number of large western roads it
Is of interest to note this difference
In his first trip on given train the
work of the auditor is surprise check
ing but not exactly 'spotting.' Col
lectors have been employed at various
times on a considerable number of
roads, but after short time-from six
months to two years-have been taken
off. The Pennsylvania had collectors
thirty years ago, but appears to have
thoroughly satisfied itself very soon.
for they were taken off and the road
has had none since. The Chicago &
Alton, the Missouri Pacific, the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas, the Wabash,
and the Burlington are all now trying
the auditor scheme. The Wabash for
merly had collectors. These were all
dismissed when Mr. Delano took
charge of the road, about a year ago,
but 1t is reported that auditors are
now employed on that road. The aud
itor, armed with proper authority
from the general manager, boards
train at any place, without previous
notice to the conductor. Just as a
travelling auditor comes into freight
office and takes possession of the
books and cash drawer as though he
owned them, the train auditor takes
the conductors work out of his hands
completely, so far as concerns the col
lector of tickets and fares.
The Auditors Work.
"The somewhat rapid spread of the
auditor idea would seem to indicate
that satisfactory results are secured.
1t is, Of course, absurd to assert that
the auditor is put on because the con-
ductor Of the train needs all Of his
time for other duties. If this were
true the only consistent Arrangement
would be to have the auditor on each
important train every day. Again. the
duties Of the conductors on some
trains are very much lighter than on
others, and the need of relieving them
Is correspondingly less pressing; yet
we find that train auditors are sent to
work trains on some of the easiest
urls. While the work of the train
auditor outwardly resembles that of
The auditor Of station accounts, as has
beer: suggested, it must be borne in
mind that there is nevertheless rad.