The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-02
Fifteen Santa Fe Officials Go to
Galveston Meeting.
Loss and Damage Committee
Was Formed in 1908.
TO REDUCE LOSS TO MINIMUM
Cooperation Between Carrier
and Public Is Requested.
In Many Cases Freight Is Inn
properly Packed.

Fifteen officials of the Santa Fe
to attend the system loss and damage
meeting there next week.
The officials who will make the trip
from here follows: ]. r. Koontz. as
sistant freight traffic manager; h 9.
Pribble. general claim agent; z. -.
Hart, assistant general claim agent; J.
G. Burnett, assistant general freight
agent; w K. Etter. assistant general
manager; r. H. Allison, assistant gen
eral manager; r. B. Cunningham, d.
vision freight agent; Isaiah Hale, safety
superintendent: f. B. Hunt, chief
clerk in the loss and damage depart
ment; I. c. Hicks. mechanical super
intendent; c. A. Gordon, warehouse
foreman; George Sorensen, agent;
Frank Wood and ]. H. Jones, trans
portation inspectors, and J. FRANK
FARRELL, editor of The Earth.
Organized in 1908.
In 1908 the loss and damage freight
claim payments on the Santa Fe sys-
tenn became so great that Z. p. Rip
ley, then president, said something
must be done TO stop the leak An
organization called the Santa Fe sys-
tom loss and damage committee ac-
cordingly was formed with F. A Leh-
man, Chicago, assistant to the vice
president, as chairman, ana f. Z:
Naegley, Chicago, assistant general
freight agent. as secretary. the COM
mIttee included the officials of the
opcratine. claim, accounting traffic,
law. mechanical and transportation
departments who were charged with
the responsibility. not OF finding ways
and means TO refute the payment OF
legitimate claims against the com
pany, but to remove the causes result
ing from such claims.
Dhis general committee meets semi
annually at different points on the
Santa Fe system. Representatives OF
all the departments indicated, aggre-
eating about $50 men, attend each
meeting There are ten standing sub
committees appointed by the general
chairman to give special considera-
ton to special subjects in connection
with freight claim cause and preVen-
ton work.
Call for Subjects.
Sixty days before the meeting or
the general committee, a call for sub
iects for discussion is sent out to all
employees on the system having any.
thing to do with the handing OF
freight. The standing committees
meet thirty days prior to the meeuns
of the general committee. discuss fully
such subjects as have, been referred
to them, and submit their report 10
the chairman of the general commit
tee for discussion at the next system
meeting.
-
organized in 1908, the Santa Fe loss
and damaAe payments amounted to
nearly 8 per cent of the freight rev.
enue, which meant that for every dol
lar Of freight revenue received, nearly
3 cents was lost thru the freight claim
avenue.
The committee got busy. AS a re-
suit of hard and persistent work, the
loss and damage was reduced steadily
until in 1916 the payments represent
ED only II of 1 per cent of the freight
revenue. This was the low water
mark.
To Reduce Loss.
1t was the aim of the organization
to reduce the loss to one-half of l per
cent of the freight revenue. and this
doubtless would have been accom-
plished IL the war had not interviewed.
AS a result of inexperienced workmen
employed by carriers and shippers
alike during the war period, made
duate and improper containers used
by some shippers, the congestions re-
sulting from labor troubles, and also
from the movement of munitions and
supplies. the payments increased until
for the six months ending June 80,
1919, the loss and damage amounted
to 2.27 per cent of the revenue.
Some of the conditions mentioned
which helped make this increase have
been removed and the Santa Fe is
taking encouragement in the fact that
for the six months ending June 80.
1920, the payments amounted to only
per cent of the freight revenue.
Freight Improperly Packed.
THE loss and damage committee
will not be content to let the pay
nents remain at this figure" says a
statement sent out by the railroad.
"but will bend every effort toward
reaching the mark previously set, viz:
only one-half of l per cent. This
can be done, however. only through
active and hearty cooperation be-
tween the carrier and the shipping
public. In too many cases, freight is
delivered for transportation improper
~ packed improperly marked. and in
faulty and inadequate containers. In
too many cases the railroad employee
does not handle the freight as il it
were his own. The organization ex-
poets to keep hammering constantly at
the causes giving rise to these dam
ages. 1t will bring careless and
thoughtless handling to the personal
attention of the individual at fault,
and urge the shipper to pack and
mark his freight so that with proper
handling it will go through to destin-
alton without damage, resulting in a
satisfied shipper, and a satisfied Gus
toner for the shipper. and minimizing
the claim loss to the carrier"