The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-07
FREIGHT REVENUES Of
RAIL WAYS ON INCREASE
Railroad Brotherhoods Asking Better
Working Conditions Point
To Prosperity.
CLAIM SHORTER WORKING DAY
Increase of Tonnage of Trains Permits
Enormous Revenue Gains Without
Compromising Workers Who Finally
Pay Bill.

Cleveland, Ohio, May 6.-The Rail-
road Brotherhoods are asking the
railroads to better their conditions
and grant an eight-hour day The
men claim that the revenues of the
companies have increased enormous
" on account of long heavy tonnage
freight trains.
hours of arduous labor, which have
Increased greatly In recent years on
account of the heavier and longer
trains. OffiCial reports show that
there has been an increase OF 33 per
cent In the tracttve power of loco
motives. an increase of 80 per cent
in the capacity of freight cars, an
increase Of 20 per cent in the number
of freight cars in a train. an increase
OF 20 per cent In the number of loaded
cars In a train, an increase OF Ia per
cent in the tons carried in the Loaded
car. and a total Increase OF ~ per
cent in the tons carried by the average
freight train.
A statement issued by the Execu-
tive Committee Of the Association OF
Western Railways. April %, 1915, de-
ciares that the railroads received In
the year ANsb sA+bh pei III u a az
per mite ana IN 1914 the earnings per
freight train per mile were s3.3l, or
an increase of 100 per cent over 1890.
Getting Greater Revenue.
The freight train crews are produc-
ing double the revenue for the rail-
roads according 20 this statement by
the roads themselves
All this shows that the freight train
crew OF the present time IL moving
far greater amount of trafflc and
producing a far greater revenue FOR
the roads than the crew Of q few
years ago. a greater amount of tom
mage movement is thus concentrated
in each Of the working hours. II
follows that even with a shorter work
day of eight hours the freight train
crew OF today can move greater
amount of tonnage than the same
crew moved IN ten hours decade ago.
BY increasing the tonnage moved by
the train crew from year to year
the railroads increase their revenues
enormously without increasing the ex-
pense OF moving the train.
IN the testimony of Daniel Willard
president OF the r and q, Railroad
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. April H. 1914. he makes a
statement that the increase in the
train load on the B and o. from 1910
TO 1918 resulted In saving or $4.-
500 600 in train movement expenses
Figure of Imagination.
II only one railroad can save s4.-
500. 900 by increasing the work Of
their train crews. the corresponding
| saving to all the roads In the United
States amounts to n tremendous total
And yet the railway officials sa
that the granting of an eight hour
day would cost the railroads one hun
dred million dollars. Aside from the
fact that this estimate Is "a figure Of
the Imagination" II is assumed with.
out any consideration whatever OF the
economics OF train operation
Should not a part Of the saving
to which President Willard refers 20
toward lettering the condition OF the
train crews. whose work makes the
savings?
Railroad officials anticipate that
freight trains will continue to become
heavier and of greater tonnage
The employees claim that by all rules
of right and Justice they are entitled
to shorter work day, as their work
becomes more and more arduous tax
ing their strength and endurance to
the limit.