Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-15
Idle Cars

Say we are a company now ready to
produce more coal, will work two hours or
four hours eXtTa-two, more likely than
four as conditions can hardly be adjusted
to work twelve hours daily to any advan-
tage--aud increase our output 2J to 80 per
cent, and will have every one keep sober and
work six days Weekly-what disposition Is
to be made Of the coal? We are a mine
rated at say, twenty cars, or 1000 tons
daily. Very occasionally the railroad pro-
vides us with twenty cars, generally about
ten, often less than ten and frequently none
at all The railroad officials tell us they
are short Of cars and short Of motive
power We take a trip to the general Of
flee I'm Philadelphia, We observe that for
every 100 cars moving" there are from
500 to 1000 standing idle loaded and empty
and that for every locomotive moving" 1t
seems TO us that there are at least ten to
fifteen standing idle and unmanned-mayb
more, maybe less.
We observe that at all industries loaded
cars are standing and very few men EN-
ployed in disCharging their contents We
read in our trade papers that the average
nally movement Of freight cars Is so many
miles daily and the average daily perform
ance of locomotives approximately 25 per
cent more. First as to the locomotive We
remember that not so many years ago the
railroad which we have in mind, and whose
offices we are visiting in Philadelphia, was
under the capable management Of an Of
ACal whose theory was that locomotive
should be kept in motion until 1t fell apart,
kept red hot all the time; as soon as she
reached the end Of her run, clean the fires,
put on another crew or same crew, make
another run and overtime, etc
If we are correctly informed, the modern
| theory and practice is that a locomotive
needs the same rest as does the engineer
and is in actual service about eight hours
D Il.
these locomotives 10 twelve hours daily and
| increase their daily mileage 80 per cent ?
In effect, why not make 100 locomotives do
the work of $50? The railroad manage
ment will probably answer I'VE have not
got the men"
Messrs. Railroad Managers, be patriotic
and manly enough to forget your resent .
ment against the brotherhoods and discon-
tinue your efforts 10 restrict the men TO
! eight hours work and eight hours pay
! They call you ncil-and-paper" rail-
readers. Set about getting their good will
| and cooperation. Individually 1t will not
| cost you a cent and you will feel better
! Your stockholders will profit and will
| esteem your work more highly. Otherwise,
| Mr.. President, exercise your authority and
| compel both parties to adopt an overtime
! system,
@Get After Consignee"
| Get after the consignee. The miners are
| ready and able to load so per cent more
| cars and the railroad is prepared 70 speed
| up the movement 30 per cent. but the cars
| are rot unloaded, There is no reason why
| the cOnsignee should not unload every car
placed on his siding within twenty-four
hours unless he is too stingy to employ
| the labor or is too stingy or too improyi.
dent to provide a place to store his con.
| signments and, in consequence, puts us al
in hole by using what ought to be our
| cars for his storage purposes.
Yes, Of course he pays 81 or 50 a da,
for the privilege, but we urge the Inter
state Commerce Commission to rule tha,
cars must be unloaded within twenty-foul
hours after being placed, under penalty o
| charges Of S25 per day demurrage, S25 fol
second twe1ty-four hours $50 for thirt
| and an increase Of S25 additional for eaol
| succeeding twenty-four hours additiona
detention. The commission should doubl,
this penalty II It does not bring the con
signee 10 time, and an embargo should b,
ordered against all incoming and outgoin,
freight TO such consignees as do not 10,
| tho mark.
We are not prepared to say anythinS
about 81 coal except that we are ready 4,
bet our Christmas dinner that the nov
discredited. economic law Of supply and De
mand win gain It's supremacy over price
nxing no matter how supreme the aufhorif,
that attempts 10 work rs will Of ita fheoris
that Conflict with that law