New-York tribune., 1920-10-11

road operation meant heavier car
loading and heavier trainloads": these
are the resultants Of many influences.
which must be exerted by the public
by railroad officers and by employees
sometimes singly and sometimes
jointly.
The directions in which the public
can help are:
l. 70 consent to increases of mini
mum carload weights. Loading cars
to capacity is impossible under exist
ing carload minimums, which cannot
be increased without the consent of
regulating commissions. Improvement
has been made, but there Is room for
much more.
2. To modify laws limiting length
of freight trains and requiring the
employment of unnecessary men on
freight trains, etc.
3. To agree to such reduction of
speed Of freight trains and reason
able detentions of small shipments as
will insure full carloads.
Very satisfactory increases in car
and train loads during Federal rail-
road administration have been sur
rendered, under pressure of public
opinion, since the return of the roads.
a. To consent to reduction of free
time, restriction of reconsignment priv
ileges, milling in transit, etc. In the
days Of cutthroat competition abuses
sprang up that result in unreasonable
detention of cars at destination, and in
transit, that should not be tolerated
under regulated competition.
5. To modify regulations imposing
punitive overtime rates.
How Employees Can Help
Acting jointly, officers and employees
can bring about:
l, A friendly understanding and more
harmonious cooperation between Off
GERS and all classes of employees; and
above all thorough realization of the
obligation of public service, to which
they owe absolute loyalty; otherwise
expenditures of money, however lib
eral, will fail to secure satisfactory
operating efficiency.
2. Increased safety of life and prop
erty by formulating proper rules and
strictly obeying them.
3. PrOmpter and more careful hand
ling of freight cars in switching yards
| stations and terminals in order to re-
duce the enormous expenditures and
loss of service through frequent shop
ping.
q. Conservation of fuel by educating
employees in its economical use and
then strictly following prescribed prac-
tice
Factors largely or wholly in the con-
troll OF railroad officers are:
l. Conservation of fuel by the ap-
plication cf superheaters and feed
water heaters on locomotives.
2. Reductions of grades and curves
for light, obsolete locomotives.
TDrrnocoG chOn fooili+iou
drastic wedding out of obsolete and
installation of the most modern and
efficient tools.
S. Close study of equipment design
and elimination of every pound Of un-
necessary dead weight without sacri-
fee of strength or safety
6. Increase of second, third and
fourth main tracks.
7. Construction Of more passing
sidings and terminals.
8. Introduction of power freight
handling devices.
9. Adjustment of passenger train
schedules to provide adequate service
and eliminate expensive, unremunera-
tive trains.
10 Common use of track and ter
minal facilities wherever possible with
out detriment to owning line
Responsibility is Recognized
The threefold possibility, resting
on the shoulders of the public, the rail
roads and their employees, is clearly
recognized by the Interstate Commerce
Commission in its recent rate decision
Commissioner McChord admirably
says:
The commission has attempted to
deal with this case under the law in
a broad, comprehensive, common sense
way, realizing that the primary re-
sponsibilty for the future of our rail
roads rested upon its shoulders and
that of the state railroad commissions
which have throughout the case and
are still cooperating in most help
ful way. They will, in my opinion
measure up to this responsibility to
make fully effective what the Inter
state Commerce Commission has, with
their cooperation, done in this case
After this the gravest responsibllity
rests with the employers and en-
ployces, for, after ALL neither the In
terstate Commerce Commission nor the
state commissions can alone insure
efficient railway service. The money
derived from the increased rates in
and of itself will not solve the trans
portation problem. To enable the
SSIIIeIS W meet Lllt present SiLUdllOI
every man and group of men, whether
employers or employees, must realize
that they are in fact performing a
public service The spirit of duty
and service must actuate all"
Many of the abuses that resulted
from unregulatcd competition have
gone, never TO return. and we believe
that if those who own the railroads
those Of us who operate them anC
those who make up the general pub
lie, approach the vexatious problems
that now confront us in spirit OF
friendly cooperation, with an earnest
purpose and firm resolve to solve them
in a way that will restore contentment
and increase the happiness and pros
perity of our country, solution will
be found
Copyright. 1920. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)