The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-17
PRACTICE VS.. THEORY.

PRACTICE VS.. THEORY.
| The interchange of views on the
railroad question during the past week
appears to indicate that the roads will
| be handed back to their owners at the
close of the year or soon after while
. the delay of congress and the appar-
ent difference of views between the
senate and the house on the whole
! subject seem to point to the possibility
of a gap between the date of return
and the date when fresh legislation
covering the whole railroad situation
| is carried to the statute books.
The theory that as much can be ac-
complished in an eight-hour day as
meantime to have been exploded as
regards the transportation business. a
large reduction in the amount off
transportation produced in proportion
| to the number of men employed has
occurred on the railroads under gov
ernment operation, the Railway Age
points out in an editorial in its cur
rent issue.
During all the years when the
has been under discussion" says the
Age, sit has been contended by some
persons that a reduction of hours
would result in a reduction of produc-
ton and by others that it would not
result in reduction of production be-
cause the average worker would ac-
complish as much in a working day of
eight hours as in one of ten hours, for
example. The statistics of the railroad d
administration demonstrate that the
effect of reducing the average hours
worked per day per employe has been
to make it necessary to employ over l /
per cent more men to do a smaller
amount of work"
These statistics show that in Decem-
ber, 1917, the number of employees of
the railways now under government
control was 1,703,74s while in July.
1919, it was 1,s94,2s7, an increase of
100, $40 or 11.2 per cent. The aver
age number of employees on Glass
railways thruout the year 1917 was
1.732,S76, and it may be safely as
sumed that this was approximately the
number employed in July of that year
The amount of passenger business
handled in July. 1919, was substantial
ly larger than the amount handled In
July, 1917. On the other hand, the
amount of freight business handled in
July. 1919, was substantially less than
in July. 1917.
Director General Hines points out
that the increase in the number OF
employees has been almost entirely due
to reduction in the hours of work per
day. He shows that in July, 1919.
with over 10000 more men on the
pay roll, the number of hours worked
by employees as a whole was actually
less than in December, 1917. The eff
feet of the increase in the number of
employees and also the increase in the
wages paid has been to increase the
annual compensation of the employees
OF the Glass 1 roads from $1,74o,O00,-
900 in 1917 to about $2,S0O, 100000 in
1919.
There has been much said about
the need for large investment of cap
ital to enable the railroads to expand
their facilities. Another most impor-
tant reason why a large investment of
capital is needed is afforded by the
enormous increase which has oc-
Cured in the railroad pay roll. The
fact cannot be too forcibly emphasized
that the effect of this on operating ex-
penses cannot be substantially offset
in any way except by a large invest
ment of capital in equipment and ia
cilities which will reduce, as past in
vestments of capital have reduced. the
amount of labor required to move a
ton or a passenger one mile.