Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-18
AMERICAN RAILWAY EFFICIENCY

(The following paragraphs are ex-
tracts from lecture delivered at Har-
ward university on April rs, by julius
Kruttschnitt, director of maintenance
and operation Of the Union Southern
Pacific companies)
While 1t may easily be demonstrated
that the maximum possible efficiency
with which different parts Of the rail-
way plant might be operated under
ideal conditions is not attained, 1t
would bs much harder to show that
the maximum efficiency practicable
under the conditions which actually
exist, and with which the railway
managers have to deal, is not APP
preached.
Efficiency from the standpoint of the
railway manager often is not the same
thing as efficiency from the stand
point OF the public. 1t is often not
practicable to move freight with the
maximum speed and regularity, and ct
the same time hold cars and engines
at terminals until the maximum car
load and the maximum train load have
been obtained 1t would be easily pos
sible for the railways to haul much
larger average load OF mail per mail
car, but under regulations OF the postal
department. postal cars are limited 20
carrying capacity Of only about three
tons, whereas express cars can easliy
be loaded to the roof with twenty to
thirty tons Of cypress. Again. in the
passenger servi>e. tie reason why the
railways on the average haul only 81
passengers per train when the average
train has capacity of at least $50
passengers, is that the public demands.
and properly that 1t be given frequent
and regular service. and frequent and
regular service is Incompatible with
the maximum loading of trains. Now.
when the public insists on kind Of
transportation which is incompatible
with the most econ onical operation no
one can Justly criticise the railway
managers for complying with the pub
lies demands and for that reason fail
ing to operate the properties with the
maximum possible economy.
Of the United States are approximate
ly much closer to the maximum prac-
ticable efficiency and economy OF OPP
Grafton than most people believe. 1t Is
a very remarkable fact that the in
crease in capitalization in twenty
years was only $1,000 per mile, or %
per cent The cost Of additional side
tracks and equipment would easily
cover $1,000 per mile Of this increase.
This leaves but $4,000 to represent the
very large sums spent principally IN
the last Ten or twelve years In the
practical reconstruction OF many i'm
.portant railways. These improvements
represent an average expenditure OF
very much more than $4,000 per mile,
and that the increase in capitalization
has been so small has been due to the
fact that, as previously stated, much of
the expenditure for them has been out
of earnings and has not been capitalize
ed. 1t Is not represented by securities
at all, but 1t is very clearly reflected IN
the more substantial character Of the
property and in very large increase
in its value.
While IN twenty years capitalization
per mile has increased only 20 per cent
and taxes per mile have increased 124 per
cent. the Intensive development OF the
properties has been so carried forward
that the increase in the mileage Of add!-
tional main and side tracks has been
SIS per cent, the increase in the num-
Der OF locomotives % per cent, in pas
senger cars Is per cent, and in freight
cars IS per cent This takes no account
OF the great enlargement Of the capac-
tionately in excess Of the increase In
it's amount.
In con sequence OF the improvements
indicated by these figures, the railways
were enabled to so increase their eff
ficiency that at the end of the twenty
years period they rendered Sc per cent
more public service for each dollar of
their capitalization than they did ct
increase N the operating expenses and