The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-10
SAVING At SPIG0I:.
WASTE At BUNGHOlE
interesting Criticism On Railroad
Management issued BY brotherhood
In Fight for Eight Hour Day.

! Cleveland, Ohio. May e-In a state
ment issued recently by the Railroad
Transportation Brotherhood, atten-
ton was directed to the practice of
| railroads in granting rebates to ship
pers, hauling private cars etc.
III the railroads are really sincere In
desiring 10 conserve their revenue. a
recent report of the Interstate Com
| merce Commission shows the roa Is
how they would save millions of DOL
lars which they lose through practice
of hauling private cars and the grant
ing of rebates
This is important in connection with
the highly exaggerated estimates which
the railways are handing out to the
public as TO the cost to the carriers
OF the adoption of the eight
work day in freight train service.
1t Is commonly supposed that the
practice of rehating has been brought
to an end, but the records of fines
imposed upon the railroads show that
this unlawful practice has not yet
been put a stop to. Not only do the
railroads lose revenue by granting re-
bates, but the fines which are i'm
posed by the courts when rebate cases
are detected are very considerable.
1t is reasonable to suppose that only
a small percentage of the actual re-
batting is discovered by the authorities.
These cases of Relating and unlaw-
full concessions and disc riminations
are not confined to any particular
section of the country. or to any spe-
ctal group of railroads. The practices
are quite general among different rail
roads and In different sections. In
l9l5:the fines imposed upon the car
riers amounted to $234, 900. the fol-
lowing railroads being convicted by
the courts: Central Railroad Of New
Jersey, Chicago Terre Iaute ana
Southeastern. Grand Trunk, Louisville
and Nashville. Michigan Central, Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas, and the
Sierra Railway.
Commenting upon the unnecessary
expenses attending the infraction of
the laws directly connected with In
terstate Commerce. the Federal Com
mission in its report in the per
cent case rendered last year, states
that these expenses should be avoid
ed. This report says that the rail
roads in official classification terri
tory alone have paid since December
!. 1909. in the aggregate SSI4.135 In
fortunes and fines, the larger part
of which represent penalties and for
rehating. One system alone has paid
penalties aggregating $J5.1S5. If this
one source of depletion of railway rev.
enues We're dried up by a cessation of
the inultifarious methods through
which favoritism is shown. certain
shippers, 1t is suggested TO railway
officials who are opposing the grant
ing OF an eight-hour day to their
freight train employees, that there will
DE more revenue in the treasuriars OF
the companies with which to meet the
slight increase in cost.
An Unjustifiable Abuse.
Free transportation of private cars
is an abuse for which there is little
justification.
Tables prepared by the commission
show that the revenue from private
cars handled free during the year 191 8
ON only lightweight roads would AZ
tariff rates have been S64i.e50.79. IT
is natural that subordinates should
be wasteful when their superiors are
extrayaxapt and that efforts 70 -