Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-25
PAVING CONTRACTOR FINDS ONE
BIG REASON FOR PRESENT
HIGH PRICES.
RAILROADS FAIL TO MEET
PUBLIC REQUIREMENTS
Delay and ldlensss Of workmen While
on Full Pay Runs Up Labor Bills and
Public Pays Extra cest--contraeter
Says Labor is Getting More Pay
Than Services Rendered Justify.

Waterloo, Aug. 25.-under govern
ment control of railroads and the pres
ent system Of operation the public Is
being taxed in a way II has little
dreamed of, according to data in the
hands Of Engineer +. c. Young. OF the
Moore Dung Constructive Company
which is engaged in paving the Whit
ney road, a federal project
Because OF delay In shipments OF
material and alleged inefficiency the
public will pay $4,000 more, just
for labor alone, on the whitney road
Job than il would be asked to pay I'M
der war labor conditions and prl-
waite control OF the transportation sys-
TEN, the engineer indicates.
In short, II was necessary to add -
cents a square yard to the bid because
the contractor realized his crews would
be idle part Of the time thru delay in
receiving brick. crushed stone and
gravel. There are 10000 square yards
In the contract. It is easy TO deduce
the loss thru inefficient operation Of
the railroads It would be one-fourth
Of $4,000. or $4,000.
Mr. Young. who was captain OF en-
gineers in the world war. spending
twenty-five months in France, has
ample evidence 10 support the allega'
ton that the people are direct losen
thru government operation Of the rail-
roads.
His figures show that in 1915. hefora
the war. six-lnch reinforced concrete
was laid on a job at Storm Lake for
II cents a yard. as the labor cost. On
the Whitney road five-ineh concrete
base IS being laid at cost of 30 cents
a yard.
The same mixed is being used and
the same number OF men are employ
ed In the crew on this job that were
used on the storm Lake job three
years ago Then over 5000 square
yards OF concrete We're laid in week.
and now the rate has been about 5000
square yards. Then the highest wage
paid TO common laborers was $3.50 a
day. On this job the lowest wage for
common labor is - cents an hour, or
$3.50 for a ten-hour day. The work
day in 1915 was also ten hours long.
ut Is easy TO figure the increased
costs under present conditions" eN-
planned Mr.. Young. Here we are pay
ing double what we paid in 1915 for
common labor and we are doing only
half the work. This really increases
the cost fourfold"
Spend Many Idle Hours.
Mr. Young's cost sheet is sprink-
led literally with such items as idle
for want Of stone" idle two hours for
So -,
day since the work began there have
been delays on account of not receiv-
ing materials at the time they were
planned This uncertainty is the cause
Of the vastly increased labor cost, ac-
cording TO the contractor
About 200 men are now employed
on the whitney road work.
ct has been taking brick an average
Of two weeks TO arrive from Caiesburg,
H., and II has taken one week from
the time the car Of crushed stone was
billed at Mason City. Iowa. until il was
switched onto or siding" said Mr..
Young.
The Job will require 1900 900 bricks,
or about $50 car loads. We were prom
Used delivery Of $4,000 a day. begin
ming with July %, but the railroads
have fallen down on the job. Instead
Of having received CPS 600. as we
should. we have received only 100000
Of the 2S5.00O billed"
Getting Too Much Money?
Mr.. Young. who worked twenty-four
hours a day while the Argonne drive
was on, continuing until he fell asleep
thru sheer exhaustion and who has al
ways worked from ten TO twelve hours
day during his adult life, diagnoses
the case thusly: 1T has been my OBJ
servation that while wages are more
| than twice as high as they were be-
| fore the war the workers are actually
performing less labor than they were
three years ago" s~.
It is Mr.. Young's belief that men
| must work harder OF must put in more
| hours at labor if the cost Of living
would be reduced. He says increaNed
production IS possible only by this
method. and without increased pro-
| duction. or lessening construction
there can be no pcrceptib'e lowering OF
| prices Of food or raiment.