The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-23
Santa Fe Has Been Conducting
Campaign to Save Losses.
Damages Caused by Carlessness
Lessened in Past Year.
The BLAMES THE TAXES
President Ripley Says Freight
Rates Not Related to HI. C.. L.
Other Items of General Interest
in the Traffic World.

A claim growing out of a lost or
damaged freight shipment means, as
a rule, that somebody has been care
less. That being an admitted fact, the
Santa Fee railway company is making
a strenuous campaign in the direction
Of inducing all who have to do with
the transportation of freight to exer-
else greater care in their work.
Some of the carelessness is on the
part of the railroad company whose
employees load stuff indifferently, or
bump the cars in manner tending to
make grief, or permit defective equip
ment to remain in the service, or do
other things that cost the company a
lot of money. Some of the careless
ness is on the part Of the shippers who
use inadequate containers for their
shipments. or do a poor job of pack
ing, or something Of that sort. The
Santa Fe has undertaken to hunt out
the causes of the several brands or
trouble which come up almost every
day to haunt the operating. traffic. ac-
counting and mechanical departments,
and finding them, to eliminate them.
The Santa Fe started it's loss and
damage movement six years ago. the
idea having originated in the mind
of President f. P. Ripley when he saw
that the company was paying three
per cent of its earnings into the loss
and damage fund. That the movement
has been a success is shown by the
statement that the annual payment to
the loss and damage fund has been
reduced from three per cent to frac-
ton over one per cent, while the ser
vice of the road has been correspond
ingly improved.
But the Santa Fee is not satisfied
with this result, and will keep on
hammering. Next week 100 or more
men from all parts of the system Will
meet in Pueblo to plan for still greater
nffioionpV n tho handling of freight
traffic. The Pueblo meeting will start
next Monday, and last five days.
THE company has a two-fold pur-
pose in making the campaign" a
Santa Fe official said. "On one hand
the company has undertaken to re-
duce it's expenditures for loss and dam
age claims; on the other it is trying
to relieve patrons of the annoyance
and inconvenience of losing freight In
transit. or having it arrive at destina-
ton in bad condition as result of i'm
proper handling. The latter purpose
is of equal Importance with the for
mer. A dealer, for instance, orders a
buggy for a quick sale. The vehicle
is damaged in transit through the
, fault Of the railway company. The
company, of course, is ready to pay
the damage, but there is delay in get
ting the broken parts. causing disap-
pointment to the purchaser and per-
haps putting him to inconvenience;
| annoying the dealer, and possibly
| making strained relationship between
| him and the railway company.
THE Santa Fee expects to avoid q
great deal of this kind of trouble by
the use of efficiency methods in load
ing and unloading. and more careful
handling of freight traffic in transit.
To pay legitimate claims promptly is
| a Santa Fe policy; to prevent the
| causes of claims is still another and
| better policy which the Santa Fee is
making a strenuous effort to live up
| to. The company has asked and is re-
| ceiving the hearty cooperation of
| shippers in the movement. Shippers
| can do, and are doing their part by
exercising care in the preparation of
shipments for transportation"