The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-07-31
RAILWAY EFFICIENCY IN
CUTTING PAYROLLs
Anew York Sue and Herald

Mr.. Samuel Gompers, president Of
the American Federation of Labor,
declares that what the American rail-
roads need to pay much higher wages
to their workers than the railway
labor boards award is efficient man.
agement. IL ne means the efficient
management which can get out of
men a dollar of work for every dollar
of wage maybe he's right. If he does
not mean this and of course he
doesn't, for he wants more men on the
job as well as more wages FOR them
then there isn't a chance on earth,
from his point Of view, for the Amer
lean railway system ever to give the
American people anything like the
the price they once paid for it.
Let US get right down to cold fig
ures. In 1913, the year before the
war, the total operating revenues of
the railroads exceeded for the first
time three billions of dollars. The
exact figures for that year were 3d.
25,136, 900. This was all the rail
roads took in from all sources put to-
gether. It was, therefore, all the
American people paid for their cost
of transportation.
In that same year of 1913-the
year before the war-the operating
expenses of the American railway
system passed for the first time two
billions. The exact figures were 49,.
169, 1863 900. That two billion dollars
covered all the expenses of mainte-
nance of way, maintenance of equip.
nent, traffic expenditures. transporta.
ton expenditures, general expendi.
lures, miscellaneous expenditures
Everything that the railroads paie
out for operation-all wages and al
everything put together with taxes
pilel on top of it, was in round mum.
bers two and a quarter billions of dol
lars.
In 1917. the year before the United
States government took over the ope
ration of the railroads, the total ope
rating expenses wages and ever,
other single thing-were under tire,
billions of dollars.
But in 1919, according TO figure,
compiled by the Bulletin of Railwa,
and Statistics, the railway payroll
alone was in excess of three billions
of dollars. The same authority esti
mated last June, before the lah0
boards wage award of $500, 600, 00G
that the railway payrolls were the
rrnning for 1920 at the rate of So,
335, 900, 900 year. Put on top OF tina
colossal figure the six hundred mill
ions of the labor board award an,
there is, in round numbers. a payrol
today Of possibly four billions OF dol
lars a year.
i Four billions of dollars a year
railway wages alone as against thre
billions Of dollars of total operatin
revenues i'm 1913. the year before tn
| war! Four billions Of dollars in raj
way wages alone as against total ops
rating expenses of the railways i
1913, the year before the war, of tw
4 billions of dollars
!, Last week il was announced tfs
the Pennsylvania railroad on it's cas-
ern operating division alone couI
j. dispense with 10000 to 10000 of I'll
. men then on its payrolls. If this
anything like fair example OF no
the railroads have been overmanne
81 since the government took control /
IIthem and how their payrolis are owe
loaded-devouring the railway rev
nues, putting that extra bnFden ,
two billions of dollars a year ON Il
backs. of the public then perhaI
$50 900 of the railway workers of Il
United States could now go off Il
| payrolls.,
Il This would not get the America
railway system back to anything lii
it sold economic efficiency; It could n
get the American public's cost
transportation back to anything lii
its old figures, because the 1,750,0t
railway workers still left on the
Jobs would be drawing nrany hundred
\ of millions OF dollars more pay ths
the same number of men were draw
ing when the American peoples tot
cost of transportation was not mus
more than what the railway payroll
alone now are.
But il 100000 men did go off Il
lIrailway payrolls because their ser
ices were not needed, and If their pc
averaged some $500 a year each .
, estimated for 1919. plus the additit
d provided for in the six hundred mil
q ions of dollars wage award of the /
g Dor board-say an average of $1Sl
II. IL.