Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-02-25

RAILWAY ExTRAvAGANCE i
IN SWAGGER OFFICES :


Among other things which the rail
ROADS nave learned from adversely are
new ways in which to economize IN
their expenditures. In four months of
the current fiscal year Is roads are
said to have saved $1,41S, 900 on the
cost OF moving traffic. Among their
neglected opportunities for economy,
The wall Street Journal cites giving up
the expensive lower Broadway offices
the need OF fine New York offices for
many western roads. Following are
points in the article:
"A president of one of the largest
railroads recently let out several at
PENDANTS who had been ostensibly busy
ing themselves around his offices, out
who In reality spent their time alter
nately doing, doing ode errands, and
performing personal valet service.
IheSe men We're private car cooks and
porters who when off the road were
retained around the offices, and, in
fact spent the most of their time there.
This gave the president an idea, n
ne went through headquarters and
found a small army of favorite cooks
and favorlte porters being retained by
OFFICIALS. The president die some more
firing but the best part of it was
that he did not stop there. The idea
was a big one. He has started experts
III W Aiild otllcI IcdhS. Al present all
officials other than the general man.
ayers have to draft their cooks and
porters from the regular dining car SER
vice when it becomes necessary to
make a private car business trip. In
a short time there promises to be other
minor, but, in the aggregate, big saw
fngs.
This president may even conclude,
tina he can get along without a private
office which measures 4OX30 feet at
$3.50 per square foot, or $4,000 rental
per annuln. and that his vice presidents
might possibly be able to get along with
400 square feet each instead of 500 feet,
and that secretaries and assistants,
cts, ad libiltum, can work just as we'll,
without being crowded, in less OK
pensive and luxurious suites. Perhaps
If the incentive to save becomes acute
enough, the $3.50 rug in the directors
room could be dispensed with, also the
25-cent cigars and expensive 1uncheons
frequently set up at these meetings.
Even the rental for the directors room
might advantageously be saved il the
presidents private office is not reduced
to less tina 500 square feet and can
still accommodate 10 or e directors.
Certainly, long before the railroad
gets to rock bottom, 1T will occur to
the president that it might be just as
well to secure offices for his headauar-
tiers In some other less expensive To-
cality than on lower Broadway, where
rentals are high and no more advanta-
geous than they would be on Fourth
avenue or in Harlem, or possibly Jer-
sey City or Hoboken. At any Of these
locations the president could possibly
construct a modest but comfortable
building for the exclusive use of his en-
tire office force with the $500, 900 ren-
tai he now pay per annum for his
New York offices and save thereby
5000, 900 a ear, after allowing for in
terest on the cost of the new building.
taxes, maintenance and operation.
Some of the presidents of Western
railroads might be led to wonder why
they maintain expensive offices in New
York when their nearest rails are 1000
OF 1,500 miles away. One western sys-
tenn occupies three floors in an expen-
sive building on lower Broadway at a
rental of $10S,000 per annu1n and main
tains an office force and other so-called
requirements which probably brings
the total New York expenses up to two
or three times as much. Another road
operating west of the Mississippi main
tains offices in New York that require
annually 100000 from the treasury Out
wactr