Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

A broom is worth to the
railroad that buys it
no, not twenty cents,
but the cost of hauling of freight thrty-fve
miles But it is not the value much it IS how
long will broom last that the railroads If
the once-a-month broom be converted into the
two-nonths' broom, the economical station agent
saves for his railroad the cost of hauling of
freight thirtyve miles every two months; which, six
times year. the cost of hauling ton of freight
two hundred and ten miles.
But the broom merely taken a symbol in the new
railroad economy Take lamp chimneys, several of
which have to be used in each station. Every time
breaks charge must be made against the railroad
equal to the cost of hauling ton of freight ten and
half miles. Twenty lamp chimneys broken year in a
single station means that some poor locomotive must
stagger under extra ton of freight two hundred
and ten miles just to pay for them
Even the lead pencil must not be despsed. requi-
ston for lot of pencils be made out in few
minutes but of freight must be hauled two miles
pay for each The is true of each track
spike that works loose and is thrown aside. track
bolt is similarly treated waste but is worth three
and half miles of haulage of ton of freight.
The man who was responsible for working out these
details of cost of ordinary tres in railroad language
was something of economist. He had the idea that
in tres had something to do with the high cost
of railroad operation. The monthly requsition for sup
plies of tring reached the huge of twenty
FIVE thousand dollars three hundred thousand dollars
year. and he forthwith decided to cut down the
After figuring out the freight haulage of the different
items, he offered rewards ranging from hundred
dollars to dollars every station agent who showed
the greatest annual saving of general station supplies
He paid out five hundred dollars in prizes and cut the
acquisitions down twenty-five thousand dollars the first
year The second year the acquisitions for lead pencils
brooms lamp chirnneys, lanterns coal shoves waste,
and pals decreased generally that the suspicion
aroused that of the agents buying their
supplies in order to get of the prize awards.
At time railroad economy generally meant laying
off few cutting wages of Others, and postponng
the purchase of much needed equipment and rolling
stock. In the end this sort of economy resulted in
inefficient service, grumbling, and strikes, and
deterioration of tracks roadbed and general equipment
Sooner later the railroad had to pay for policy that
was about as economical killing the old goose that
laid the golden eggs.
THE return to the save the pins and string" policy
is said to have originated in this way:
The head of the supply department of one of the big
trunk divisions that goes out of Chicago asked his wife
how long broom lasted in the house.
From four to six MONTHS she replied
Exactly! Then we'll begin with brooms"
Forthwith he put into effect the slogan of "save the
brooms." This in time developed into the save
nickel or dime day for the company" policy that
IS in effect most big roads
The Pennsylvania began experimenting. and general
notice sent to all its employees reading like this:
If everyone of the employees of the Schuylkl Division
would day for the company it would
total saving of S14 day, which would toward pay
ing the increased wages now enjoyed by the men.
Ten cents day! How can it be saved? The average
must be shown, and the company temized economy
for the different employees in this way:
Enginemen should economic in the use of oil;
Firemen in the of coal;
Clerks in the stationery by avoiding errors
Tracknen in gathering up old bolts and spikes;