Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-12-19

The Railway Age. in nm editorial ~
It's current issue. gives some data which
show some of the principal reasons Tor
the high operating expenses which are
preventing the railways from earning
the net return which u was expected
they would carp under the new freight
ana passenger rates. The net operai'
ing income which the railways should
have enfned In October ON the basis
Of a per cent annual return N Sllj.
100000. The return actually earncT
was ys6,OOO.OOO,
'"rhe operating efficiency ~ the
roads has in many respects been gre ,i.
" Increased In recent months" says
the Railway Age. "and was at It's height
In September aud October. The aver.
age miles travelled by each hcight car.
the average load per freight car, ana
the average tons per train In thos
months broke all records. Why. in
spite Of all Of tlrsc facts. were the upe'
rating expenses so highy
mo detailed statistic Of Operating
expenses IN October are available. hut
some detailed statistics OF expenses IL
September are available and they throw
much light on tbs situation. TranspOr'
tatlon expenses is. the cost q
making up. breaking up and moving
tralns-arc almost exactly onchnlf ~
the total operating expenses. The In
terstate Commerce Commission gives
unit costs for several items which cnte'
into the cxpcnte Of transporting freight.
E..alssIfRsv l...sgaNltH.s ~
engInemen. fuel. other locomotive AMI
train expenses engine house expenses.
and wages Of trninmcn. For cac1
freight train that was moved one mite
In September. 1919, the cost ~ loc|
motive repairs was 43.G cents. while Ia
1880 Il was SOS cents an increase NJ
II per cent. This accounted fur APP
proxinatcly 50 200 coo of the increaaa
In transportation expenses The In
crease In the wages ~ engineers nnd
firemcn for each mile freight trniG
was run was from 23.a cents Ia 9l.5
cents. 90 % per cent. This accuunt'i
for over s5O0O.000 OF the increase m
transportation expenses.
1.-THE incr,a'c In the cost ~ fuel per
freight train mile was from a. cents
90 G5 cents. ar a. per cent. and this ne.
counted Tor over $4,000 600 nj tn" In
crease In transportation expenses. Ths
advance In the cost ~ fuel was entirely
due to an advance In the average price
81 coal. The average price per net ton
paid by thu railways IN September.
1920. Il was si.5l. an advance of a.
Der cent. rrninmcn's wages for each
mile freight train moved In SeptcW
ber, 1919. Were 900 cents and In Sep
TENDER. 1920, they were $40 cents. az
Increase uf Al per cent. This accounted
Tor over $G.100.000 1T the Increase In
the cost ~ freight transportation
There were corresponding increases N
the cost ~ moving passenger trains.
"The foregoing figures take mo nc
count IL the increase In the cost OF
maintaining tracks and equipment. TIA
Increase In the cost ~ maintenance oi
tracks and structures In September
was over SIS .OOO. coo. while the increase
IN the cost ~ maintaining equipment
was about slO.000. 000. The foregoing
figures show TINT the increases In ~
pcnses took Mace IN ull departments,
put tltN Nfif llh'ilNAhf WV W. wv
advances In wages and to Increases In
the cost Of fuel"
<The Railway Age emphasizes the Inn
portancc ol every effort being made
to reduce operating expenses. and 90
pecially of every effort being made Nv
the railways and the shippers a. con
tinuc the heavy leading of cars AMI
trains II shows TINT In september.
1920. the railways handled u per cent
more cars In each train and 20 per cent
more freight IN each loaded ear thal
In the year 1915. 10 handle the IL yht
traffic In September they ran fright
trains 53.Oi7,O0O miles. With the aver
age carload and ttuinload of 1915 they
would have had to run freight trains
32.6s4. 600 more miles io have handled