The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1916-05-13
WHY RAILROADS GAM
AFFORD 8-HOUR DAY
Revenues Have Increased Enor-
mously on Account of Long
Heavy Trains.
Tltx4-N CREWS PRODUCE
ROADS, BIG EARNINGS
Shorter Work Day Will Give
Minimum Relief From
Hard Conditions.

CLEVELAND, May 1.-THE Rail-
road Brotherhoods are asking the
railroads to better their conditions
and grant an eight-hour day.
The men claim tl-at the revenues
of the companies have increased enor-
mously on account of long heavy ton
mage freight trains.
The men desire relief from the long
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 SO per
cent in the tractive power Of locomo-
tives, an increase of 80 per cent in
the capacity of freight cars, an in
crease Of 20 per cent in the number
OF freight cars in a train, an increase
of 23 per cent in the mum Der of loaded
cars in a train, an increase of 19 per
cent in the tons carried in the loaded
car and a total increase of AZ per
cent in the tons carried by the aver
age freight train.
A statement issued by the execu-
tive committee of the Association of
Western Railways, April 23, 1916, de-
clares that the railroads received in
the year 1890, $1.65 per freight train
per mile and in 1914 the earnings per
freight train per mile were 1881 or
an increase of 100 per cent over 1890.
The freight train crews are produc-
ing double the revenue for the rail-
roads according to this statement by
the roads themselves.
All this shows that the freight train
crew of the present time is moving a
far greater amount of traffic and pro-
ducing a far greater revenue for the
roads than the crew of a few years
ago. A greater amount Of tonnage
movement is thus concentrated in
each of the working hours. It follows
that even with shorter work day
OF eight hours the freight train crew
OF today can move a greater amount
Of tonnage than the same crew moved
in ten hours a decade ago, -,
By increasing the tonnage moved
by the train crew from year to year,
the railroads increase their revenues
enormously without increasing the
expense of moving: the train.
In the testimony of Daniel Willard,
president Of the B. & o. railroad be-
fore the Interstate Commerce COM
mission, he makes statement that
the increase in the train load on the
B. & o. from 1910 to 1913 resulted in
a. saving of $4,500,000 in train move
ment expenses.
If only one railroad can save $4,-
100000 by increasing. the work Of
their train crews, the corresponding
saving to all the roads in the United
States amount to tremendous total.
And yet, the railway officials in
form us that the granting of an eight
hour day would tost the railroads one
hundred million dollars. Aside from
the fact that this estimate is "a fig
ure of the imagination" it is assumed
without any consideration whatever
Of the economics of train operation.
Should not part Of the ':saving''
to which President Willard refers, go
toward bettering the condition Of the
train crews whose work makes the
'savings?"
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 ard
| uous, taxing their strength and endur-
ance to the limit.