The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-27
Campaign for Better Track on
Rock Island Lines.
Premiums for Work to Road
masters and F0remen.
A CLOSE INSPECTION.
Officials will Keep Watch on
Improvements.
Other Items of General Inter-
est in Traffic World.

No matter what kind Of a coach you
are riding in or whether you are in a
cane smoker seat or an Upholstered
Pullman chair. a railway line is not up
to standard unless the track is good.
A soft track. an illkept roadbed and a
retrenchment in track work will under
mine the efficiency. of any railroad.
In line with its new efficiency COM
mittee and it's campaign to improve the
general conditions among employees
along the lines the Rock Island has
adopted a novel plan of giving prerni-
ums to roadmaSterS and section fore
men for showing Of the greatest i'm
ProveR1ent in track conditions.
This plan is announced from the Of
fee of F. c. Melcher. second vice presi-
dent, and H. u. Nudge, president of the
Rock Island lines. The first news OF
the offer in the western country COW
ering the second district comes from
the Office of A. Z. Sweet, general man
ager in Topeka.
ITO reward Individual effo-' and eff
cheney the Rock Island lines beginning
with the calendar year and continuing
until further notice will pay premiums
TO roadmasterS and section foremen of
main line districts and sections said
the general manager this afternoon.
1.-THE roadmaster of the subdivision
on a division or a group of divisions
Improvement in condition during the
year will be given a premium of 500.
Fhe foremen of the section Of each
roadmaster's subdivision whose section
shows the greatest improvement IN
condition will be given $780,
The inspection and award will be
made by three committees; one for each
general managers district These
committees will be composed of the en-
gineer maintenance OF way, and four
superintendents The inspection COM
mittees will make two inspections an
nually, one before the general track
work begins, and the other at the close
of the season. The days of these in
spections will be fixed by the general
superEmtendents, who will accompany
the inspection committee on a special
train. The engineer of maintenance
and three superintendent will mark
fer each division; superintendent not
marking on his home division.
In measuring the improvement, due
regard will be given to force allowed,
material furnished and the weather
conditions obtaining during the period
under consideration.
Records of the inspections will be
made upon forms provided for that pur-
pose. The records of the first inspec-
tion will be retained by the engineer
maintenance of way until the comple-s
ton Of the second inspection, when
they will be given to the committees to
be used in determining the amount of
Improvement and the distribution of
the awards
After a decision is reach as to the
awards, each committee will prepare
and forward to the respective general
superintendents for approval, a tabula-
ted report of their conclusions, encloS-
ing herewith reports of both inspec-
tons. The general superintendent will
forward these reports to the general
managers for voucher and publication.
The plan Of paying premiums to road
masters and section foremen will be ex-
tended to other parts of the Rock Is
land lines as fast as conditions war
rant.
The Improvement in condition upon
which the award of premiums will be
based will be determined by the great
est number of marks received for the
following points:
1. Line and surface value 65 marks
(maximum0. n
2 bitches. drainage and roadbed.
value 16 marks (maximum). z,.rtz
g. Frogs. switches and joints, value
10 marks (maxfmum).
4 Spacing ties, value 5 marks (nax-
imum).
S. FIGHT of way, fences and station
grounds, value marks (maximurn).
The system will be in effect upon the
following divisions or groups of divis-
ions:
/ Chicago terminal division, main
line tracks; Illinois division. Blue Is
Z
Peoria to Rock Island.
2. Missouri division, Davenport to
Cameron. Altamont to Horton.
g. Iowa division, Davenport to Coun-
Gil Bluffs
4. Cedar Rapids division, Burlington
70 Cedar Rapids; Des Moines Valley
division, Keokuk to Altoona, Gowrie
to Siblex.
6. Dakota division. Albert Lea to
Sioux Falls, Ellsworth to WATERFOWL.
z. st. Louis division, Forsyth to
Leeds Junction
8. Kansas division, Horton to CaId-
well. Mcfarland to Belleville.
g. Nebraska division, Albright to
Phillipsburg, Horton to Jansen.
TO- Colorado division, Phillipsburg to
Roswell.
IL Ell Paso division, Harrington to
Tucumcari.
u. Arkansas division, Bridge juno
YOJJP COLD IS BROKEN