New-York tribune., 1920-03-03
Figures Show Recession in
Production, Increase in
Accidents. Much Greater
Sum Paid for Damages
Decrease in Lives Lost
U. S. Quotes Adamson Act
to Offset Charge That the
Roads Are Overmanned
By Stanley Frost
'peesai Dispatch to TIE Tribune

"
been slight yet unmistakable decrease
ia the efficiency of the personnel. in the
amount of work done a man an hour
on the railroads, under government
operation, as compared with private
control in 1915 and 1917. the statistics
in the number Of accidents and in the
amount OF damage claims paid, which
confirm the figures, and indicate lack
of efficiency.
Neither the railroad administration
nor railroad men believe that these
figures tell the truth. The administra-
tion insists there has been no loss in
efficiency; the railroad men say it has
been much greater than the tabula-
ton shows, and expect soon to have
more complete data that will prove
their claims.
Decrease in Traffic Factor
The efficiency calculations have to be
based on q comparison between the
number of hours work done, and the
traffic handled. The administration
points out that there was heavy
slump in traffic last year, and that
most railroad employees have to work
are running. So, it is argued, the de-
crease in production was not due to
lack in efficiency.
The railroad men contend that since
only 10 per cent of all the employees
are trainmen, the figures give no check
on the output OF the remaining 90 per
cent. They say that the reforms due
TO GENERALIZATION of control have caused
such savings that more traffic is hand
led, even with less efficienc men, and
that the actual condition is much worse
than the figures show. They say, also.
that there has been a decided falling
of in the condition of the roads, that
The work put in by section gangs and
shopmen has not produced as much as
formerly, and that the compilations
leave this out of account
This condition. however. is almost
impossible to put into figures The
railroad administration denies any gen
eral physical impairment, while the
owners say there has been dete riora-
tion to be measured only in hundreds
sf millions of dollars. Railroad en-
Sineers are compiling data intended to
prove this. and if it is true, the roads
will be able to recover the difference
from the government.
Slump Began in 1917
How the slump in efficiency COM
psres with what would have taken
place under private owners is in dis
pute. Railroad executives testified
that 1t was noticeable in 1917. so that
it cannot be charged in full to the
government. Moreover, there has been
marked falling off in productivity of
laoor al over the country; canvass
made by The Tribune last summer in
dicated an average of about 35 per
cent. This leaves room for heavy
drop before the balance goes against
government as compared with private
operation.
The whole travelling public will
agree, 1t is believed, that there has
been less courtesy and service from
railroad employees since the govern
ment took control. Yet the facts show
that the fall in efficiency has not been
so serious as has been charged. and
that many OF the specific accusations
against the government control do not
stand the test.
FIRST OF these charges is that the
roads are "overmanned" The sur
lace figures, which show an increase
OF s44,ol0 employees between 1917 and
1919, an increase of 14.8 per cent. seem
are deceiving, and no well-info formed d
.aliroad man believes that there has
oeen any unnecessary boost in person
nei. The difference has been caused by
ene Adamson eighthour law, which went
mo enect during 1913. As Il result
OF this act the average number of
nours worked a day on the roads has
cropped from 9.4 a man to 81, or 1873
Fer cent. The actual number of hours
"ork done was smaller by So millions
IN 1913 than in 1916, and by $50 mil
Ilons than in 1917.
Inere have been some vivid excep-
IONS 10 the rule, cases in which the
NUMBER OF employees has increased in
startling fashion. The most striking
10 that OF fagmen and crossing watch1
men, VINO have increased about so per
cent. But there have been offsets in
M actual decrease in the number of
,.rAinmen and of men in some other
branches. So the overmanning CHARGE
Cars Carry Heavier Loads
me figures cited by the railroad ad-
suction per hours labor has not de-
creased are based on traffic handled.
az against hours worked AS stated.
s"ese ugures are unsatisfactory. To
large extent their favorable showing
IS due to heavier car loading, to in
s';eased tram loads, to savings at ter
ninels and other improvements made
possible by centralizatlon. In the pas
::enger service the 80 per cent increase
IN mileage has been taken care of by
increasing tho average number of per-
sons IN car from fifteen to twenty
and by lengthening trains, neither ex-
pedient calling for extra employees in
proportion. These facts are so heavy
deduction from the apparent showing
made that they might change the re-
sols it they could be reckoned accu-
Railroad men use a rule of thumb
method Of figuring traffic units" based
on the fact that it takes about four
Zines AS much labor to transport
passenger mile as a ton of freight.
inc number of traffic units for a given
ume. then, is equal to the ton-miles
carried, plus four times the passen-
ger mileage: Using this basis, the rec
ORD saows that in 1915 there were pro-
2uced 96.4 "trahac units" for every
sours work put in; in 1917 the pro-
auction was 101.7; in 1918 it was 101.5
and n 1919 it had risen to 1868, thus
: Fo. &C.