The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-20
Big Retrenchment Order Along
Lines Of the Santa Fe.
Feared That Double Track Work
in West Will Stop.
HOW ABOUT TOPEKA?
Office Buildings Under Con.
struction Short Shop Hours.
other Items of General Interest
in Railroad World.

Inc report that comes to Topeka
railroad circles that the Santa Fe has
ordered retrenchment of many mil
lion dollars on all it's lines of the sys-
tenn has started a nervous feeling
among the interested in this part OF
the Santa Fe territory.
Just how far the Santa Fee will ex-
tend this order what improvements
and work it will include and what eff
rect 1t Will have on the contemplated
work In this city is a question that
cannot be answered at this time by To-
cal officials and probably never will be
answered publicly here.
The recent rate raise trouble, the
government legislation and other OBJ
struct1ons in the railway work are held
responsible for this alarming deduc-
ton in expenses by the Santa Fe That
the retrenchment will take effect al
once and that the Topeka officials will
soon be Informed as to the extent OF
the cut in this territory is the opinion
of local officials.
1t is said today that the order for g
large entrenchment is for the purpose
OF stopping all the work which involves
an operating charge. To the novice
this is vague. But not only to the no.
vice-the railroad officials themselves
are in doubt as to what may be con-
strued as an operating charge"
An operating charge is in one sense
an expense to the railroad COMPANY
that is charged up to operating If a
railroad is double tracking in some fan
western district and hauls much o.
their material from another district in
the east it means that the hauling OF
this material is practically a dead loss
to the railroad on account of the hau
of their own supplies.
Stops Double Tracking.
Thus it will be seen that this order
may include a large part of the double
tracking in the west. The Santa Fe is
rapidly making their system a double
track line from Chicago TO Los An
ge1es and at the present time the v
Sharp & c. A. Fellows Contracting
company is building almost 200 miles
of double track work on the coast lines
Although no orders have been ISSUED
to this effect it is feared that the bis
retrenchment order will stop this dou.
BILE track building.
Topeka may not suffer many hard.
ships from the cut in expense 1t is
practically impossible to cut down the
general office force in this city. This
is a force and a part of the railroad
work that has to be "on the job at al
times. The local officials do not fee
this result.
The cutting of expenses in the shop:
has commenced. Although this cut is
not made to starVe the men or throw
them out of employment the Santa FL
simply cuts down the number of hours
In this manner they keep their mer
with them and keep them provided an(
save expense on the time consumed.
| Topeka Work Continues.
The building work in Topeka is alst
tied up in such a manner that it is no
thought the Santa F'e will stop it. The
new shop Office building has reached thu
| third story and will be completed a!
soon as possible, although it is not fig
tired that the three extra stories pro
posed some time ago will be built a
| this time. The new addition to TIL
general offices up town is also bein:
| built as fast as possible. The contrac