The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-08-29
ANNUAL LOSS HEAVY
RAILROADS PAY LARGE SUMS
IN DAMAGES.
No Less Than $24,o0o,o0o Given Last
Year to Satisfy Customers for
Freight Destroyed or In
jured in Transit.

Railroads of the United States last
year paid $24,O0O.OOO cold cash to sat
isfy customers for freight loss and
damages.
According to an expert this is an
increase of 500 per cent. over the
losses of ten years ago. Whether this
Is an increase in payments for losses
or whether loss and damages to
freights have increased in this pro-
portion is question which cannot be
decided from the statement, writes
Hollis w. Field in the Chicago Trib-
une. But at least the immensely of
the sum serves to indicate how the
railroad company, over almost any
other employer of men, stands re-
sponsible for the shortcomings and
mistakes of the average man in it's
employ.
Not only are these tremendous bills
chargeable against the companies, but
II long has been recognized at COM
peting points that the road which is
prompt in the settlement of its claims
has the preference at the hands of
shippers. In this way the road is be-
tween two fires compelling it to con-
slider the claims for damages.
When shortcomings of the freight
department are responsible for these
huge losses. the man who is familiar
with the methods of loading and un-
loading in general will be quick to be-
lieve the assertion of this expert when
he says only great railroad COM
pany could stand it."
1t becomes an economical problem
when an automobile worth $4,000, and
paying five dollars freight charges, is
loaded at freight station by hurried
men. who must get through the day.
work somehow, and shipped so miles
with other machinery or merchandise,
is shunted to a depot platform and UNI
loaded by the same class of help, and
there discovered to be damaged $500
worth because of faulty loading or
careless dumping from the car. 1t is
worse when the damage is so irrepar-
able that the consignee will not re-
ceive 1t.
But every day in the conduct Of a
great railroad similar damages are
done because of lack of judgment
and care on the part of men who hold
the destiny of such freight in their
hands. One piece of freight may rep
resent a value double the salary of the
man for year. But there is no check
on him save as he will study the
printed rules of the company regard.
ing the handling of freight and put
these rules into practice. Otherwise
the claim department has a case for
settlement on it's hands.
Perhaps no other business requires
such a volume of printed rules for the
conduct of it's business as does the
railroad. In the matter of it's freights
of man for handling and delivery. II
is the complaint of the type that hours
are long and wages low. No one
doubts that the railroad station agent
telegrapher, freight agent, baggage
man, and mail-pouch man at thousands
of small stations all over the country
has his single pair of hands full. Hur
take things for granted-to take the
short cut to an end.
In one year the Northwestern rail
road out of Chicago audited 58,14t
claims for damages and loss of freigh1
along it's lines, paying total of $3.50,
611.04 in restitution. This was almos
ten per cent. upon the freight reve
nues of the road for that year. Hur
ried, slipshod methods of freight han
ding were responsible for most o
this loss.