The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-15
Railways Use One Fourth Of All
Coal That Is Mined.
Nearly IL Per Cent. Of Operating
Expenses for Coal.
NEARLY HALF LABOR
Forty Cents of Every Dollar
Goes to WOrkingmen.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

Locomotive fuel cost the railroads
in the year 1910, on 227, 525 miles of
line, $213,s3s. Ss4 equivalent to 11.19 per
cent Of the operating expenses, or 7.S9
per cent of the total gross earnings,
says the Rock Island Employees Maya
zine. This tremendous expenditure
does not include one cent for coal
haul, probably equal to one-half as
much more, or a total Of 100000, O0O
spent for one years locomotive fuel.
''An individual or corporation making
a large investir enr naturally expects
some returns at the end of the year,
but the average railroad, TIE size Of
the Rock Island after spending mil
lions Of dollars on one years coal bill,
has very little to show for it. In other
words, coal is an asset that wouldn't
go far in meeting the liabilities, there
fore, if the initial expense Of purchase
can be curtailed, much would be ac-
complished.
THE railroads in the year 1910 paid
employees S1,13I016,5OS, meaning that
about 40 cents of every dollar spent
by n railroad goes for labor.
value Of Engine Fuel.
Fuel for locomotives cost $213, $685.
8s4; valued at about 1920, 100000, when
placed on engines.
Taxes amount to O3,4S5. 9s5; about
three times as much for fuel as for
taxes
"On and water for locomotives cost
$40. S43,907 Is times more for coal than
these items.
These comparative figures show
how some gross earnings are listrib-
uted, not including materials and sup
plies. hire and rent Of equipment and
facilities, loss and damage, rentals of
leased roads, interest on funded debt
and current liabilities, dividends de-
fcits. surplus and other miscellaneous
items.
"Fifty-four cents out of every dol
lar expended by a railroad company
pays for labor and fuel
''In the United States last year $780,
100000 tons of coal were mined This
amount Of coal loaded in average
length cars and set end to end, would
make string 10000 miles long; one
days consumption Of coal in the Uni
ted states loaded in cars, would be
about 24O miles long, equal to nearly
30, 900 cars every "a hours. This is go
ing at rate of 1,40O cars an hour, or
about "a cars a minute.
Roads Use One-FOurth.
THE railroads use about one-fourth
of the coal mined, or 115,000,000 tons
annually, which. if loaded, would re-
ouire about 100000 cars; one days
supply Of railroad fuel would make a
string of cars about so miles long. At
that rate the railroads are consuming
about 32S cars an hour, or six cars
Per minute every minute Oh Tie year
If 900 900 cars of railroad company
coal were placed in one train, it would
encircle TIE globe, and keep the hind
man busy tagging his own engine
Right here on the Rock Island we are
burning about a mile and three-fourths
OF this string of coal every day during
the present time, equivalent to 240 cars
or ten cars per hour and about one
car every six minutes.
There are about 145 scoops of coal
to a ton of coal. or 5000 scoops in an
ordinary car. At the present rate OF
consumption Rock Island firemen are
handling about 1000 shovels a minute
or about Is shovels Ter second. This
coal is worth IA cents a shovelful
four shovcls to a nickel.
1.-The Rock Island road consumes
annually more than 700 miles of ordi-
nary cars Of coal; this string would
reach from Chicago to Colorado. o.
from Kansas City beyond Tucumcari
or from Memphis beyond Amarillo
Tex. Perhaps it won't be as long mex
year when we all get to work on this
sui~kel-saved-a day. business +"