Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-11
SUGGESTS RAILROADS
REDUCE EXPENSES
Southern Pacific Watching the
SpigOt OverlOOks Larger
Leaks


Through their publication "The Rail
road g War Board" of which Fairfax
Harrison is chairman of the executive
committee, the railroads are asking pub
lie service commissioners to cooperate
with the railroads in eliminating un-
necessary improvements such as the con-
struction of new stations, the elimina-
| tion of grade crossings, ETC., and SO
help reduce express during war time,
and Commissioner Corey of the Oregon
Commission has replied to their request
with the following letter, which sug-
gests ways in which the railroads can
help in saving waste and winning the
war:
Gin reply to the appeal of your
board to public service commissioners
urging cooperation with the railroads IN
suspension during the war of all ef-
forts not designed to help directly IN
winning the war which says, "that the
railroads be required by the public
authorities to make improvements and
carry out projects involving the expen'
diture of money and labor only when
they are absolutely esentsial for war
purposes or public safety" and that
ffthe erection of new stations, ellmlna-
ton Of grade crossings are among the
non essential improvements which
should be deferred at this time" and
further asking our cooperation IN elm
mating all passenger service which IS
merely convenient and not JUSTIFIED by
Uublic ecessity during the present en-
ergeney situation, wish to state that
1 am glad indeed to cooperate with
your committee in these matters for the
reasons you set forth. 1 believe organ
ization and cooperation will prove bene-
ficial to our country and be reflected
as well in railroad earnings. l also be-
lieye there are other remedies that lie
within the hands of the railroads them
selves that might hetp considerably.
"It is stated by a railroad official
that twenty-five million dollars are
spent annually by the railroads OF the
United States for 'outside agency ex-
penses. This was never contemplated
in the institution of rates. One road
will say we must do this because the
other roads are doing it. | suggest that
your committee recommend as an effort
designed to help win the war that all
roads cease this practice. The local
agencies in a city could take care OF
the business if they would. 1t might |
be necessary to employ a few more
clerks but it could be done. One road
will rent expensive offices on the |
Ground floor of the most central loca- |
fion in a city sometimes many miles |
from it's line of railroad and immediate
1y every competitor will rent equally
F,,rnicbod with |
nensive and high salaried officials. We
see this repeatedly throughout the Unit |
ed States and collectively they will
opt no more business than without this |
expense. -,
UNFAIRLY lost annually millions of dol
lars revenues by circuitous routing OF
traffic, by granting of free annua. ana
reduced rate passes and are dong so
today. If the legal rate is three cents
per mile, why reduce it by such devleeY
I fail to see any reason why a traveller
with several pieces Of baggage should
be granted cheaper rate than a man
with overalls and several children.
"Less important is the abuse of ex'
cess baggage privileges. 1t has been
stated by a railroad official that fully
twenty-five per cent Of excess baggage
is never collected for various reasons.
The man with sample trunks or an an
nual pass often pays for excess bag
gage with cigars.
A time table in the local papers and
economical printed matters are neces-
sary. Extravagant advertising estlm-
ated by the railroads themselves at over
ten millions annually, believe is su-
perflous. This expense was never con-
templated in the institution of rates
and could be abolished as war expe-
dent by the railroads. Terminals cost
ing millions more than the service re-