The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-14
RAILROAD NEWS.
Save a Million Dollars a Day
IT'S a Dream.
This Is Answer Given by Rail-
way Men.
SIT REACTS ON LABOR"
1t Is Asserted That Economy
Plan Is a Vagary.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World,

Chicago, Jan. 14.-"No more gro
tesque vagary of idle dreamer ever was
projected in the field of romance than
the assertion that 81, OOO, 900 a day can
De saved out of the operating expenses
OF the railways of the United States, F"
is the railroad reply to Louis D. Bran
oeis, the attorney for the eastern ship
pers.
The reply is incorporated with the
statistics and legal arguments of the
brief filed with the interstate COM
merce commission in the western rate
advance case by the Chicago, MiIwau-
kee & st. p1ul railway. The word
painting is that of William Ellis, in
terstate commerce attorney of the
road.
Two Ways to Save Million.
IF the amount of service performed
by the railways is not to be reduced %
he says, land, as a matter of fact. it is
constantly increasing, there are but
two ways in which this million a day
can be saved-either by reducing the
expenditure for what is now used or by
increasing the efficiency so that less
can be used.
THE large item of operating expense
is labor. On the railways of the coun-
try for the fiscal year ending June so,
1909. which is the last year for which
figures are available, the operating ex-
1854, or over so per cent, was paid to
labor.
IF the railways of the country were
organized as one system, and the presi-
dent of that system were confronted
with the necessity of saving million Il
day. his first consideration would un-
doubtedly be the best economy which
would be made in expenditures, not in
volving labor, and his largest item to
work on, and probably the first to re-
ceive attention, would be fuel. Fuel
ind water for locomotives amount to
$186, 766, 1923.
Do 1t From Law Library.
1.-THE contention probably would be
that the economy in coal must be found
through increased efficiency brought
about by scientific methods Of using
and handling. In this particular the
railways have supposed that in their
crude and awkward way some progress
had been made in that direction,
though their efforts to solve the prob
lem of coal economy have been wrought
out rather by use of logarithms than
under the basic principles of mechanics
as expounded by Blackstone, and the
coke they have relied upon has been
physical rather than philosophical.
Much weary toll and wearing anxiety
could have been saved had they known
what an easy and offhand process it is
to save q million a day-on the rail-
ways-from law library in Boston
However, the widest of buccaneers,
let loose among the rampant expenses
of the railways, would hardly expect to
exterminate more than % per cent of
the expenditures for coal through in
crease of efficiency, decrease in price,
Or both. This would save $4s 000, 000.'
Bumps Against Labor Problem.
Assuming ''in an equal spirit of
theoretical optimism a saving of %
per cent in all items outside of fuel
and labor, or a further retrenchment
of $106, 900. 000 Mr.. Ellis calculates that
''this would leave the supposed presi-
dent of all the lines to face the pleas
ant task of endeavoring to take some
thing over $211, 100000 out of the labor
of the railroad, either through in
creased efficiency, which would result
in the discharge of employees drawing
$211, 00O, 600 in wages, or by reduction of
their pay"
After discussing the reduction in the
pay of different classes of officers AMI
employees, this would entail Mr.. Ellis
says:
1--WE would then have arrived at an
annual saving of a little less than $780,
900 900, and if the various impossible
things which are herein assumed could
be brought about, total saving Of
about $315. 100000 would have been ac-
complished.
More than half of this saving de-
ponds upon the reduction of labor.
which this commission and every one
else knows could not be accomplished
without such industrial warfare as
would amount to revolution; and any
railroad mana ger who would attempt
to take $3.50. O00,o 600 out of the mouths of
the wives and children of his employees
as an alternative to an increase in
rates which amounts to 8 cents on n
barrel of flour, 3A cents on a hundred
pounds OF meat, 10 cents on a ton Of
soft coal. cent on an eighth of a bar
rel of beer and infinitesimal amounts
on the articles of daily consumption.
would be justly condemned by public
Or1ipiOn