The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-29
TO PROMOTE RAILROAD EFFI
CIENCY.

TO PROMOTE RAILROAD EFFi-
CIENcY.
: Recent action taken by the chief
executives of the railways is not only
of the greatest significance and i'm
portance under present conditions, but
is unprecedented in the history OF
American railroads." declares the
Railway Age in an editorial. ION the
recommendation of their advisory
committee, which recently was created,
they have set up certain standards OF
efficiency of operation for the rail-
ways as a whole which, by resolutions
unanimously adopted. they have pledg-
ed themselves to make every effort to
attain. This is the first time any such
action ever was taken by the railways
collectively. The purpose is to relieve
the present dire transportation situa-
ton in the shortest possible time. The
significant feature of the standards set
up IS that they are higher than any
corresponding standards hitherto at
tanned in the actual operation of the
railroads of the United States. and are
probably higher than ever were at
tanned in the operation of the railroads
of any country
THE first standard is AN average
daily minimum movement Of freight
cars of not less than 80 miles per
day Under government operation in
1918 was 24.6 miles and in 1919 c2.1
miles. The greatest average move
ment ever attained in any year was in
1916. when it was ESQ miles. If the
railways should accomplish what they
have set out to do, it would mean
practically five miles per car per day
more than was made under unified
government control in 1918, and would
be equivalent to adding four hundred
10 five hundred thousand cars to the
available equipment.
'The second standard set up is AN
average loading of 80 tons per car
The highest ever attain was in 1919.
when it was pol cars. An increase of
one ton in the average load per loaded
car would be equivalent to adding
from $4,000 to $4,000 to the available
supply Of cars.
"The third standard established is
The reduction of bad order cars to a
maximum of per cent of the total
owned The last report upon the sub
ject showed IA per cent, or about 49,
900 of all the freight cars of the
United States in bad order. A reduc-
ton of this to per cent would in
crease the useful available supply of
cars by about $4,000.
The fourth and fifth standards set
up are An early and substantial re-
duction in the number of locomotives
unfit for service and More effective
efforts to bring about the return of
cars to the owner roads,
"All railway companies will forward
to the advisory committee, or such
agency as the latter may designate.
reports that will enable a check to be
made currently of the performance
under this resolution, and the advisory
committee will arrange for COMPARE
tive compilation of such reports and
make distribution to the individual
companies.
'Tn order to achieve the results they
have resolved that they should and
will, the railway arrangements will
have to improve greatly the efficiency
of operation of the individual proper
ties and cooperate loyalty with each
other. They will have to have the
support of their employees, and the re-
cent wage award ought largely to rem
Guy liiS ldDOE COHoIGlOIlS WHICH LOT
some mouths have SO seriously inter-
ferred with efficient operation. The
homogeneous will also have to have
the energetic support of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission and of
shippers, for the commission and the
shippers can largely determine how
heavily cars shall be loaded and also
how rapid the circulation of cars shall
be, since cars are in the hands of the
shippers about third of the time.
1.-THE action Of the railroads in Gre
ating an advisory committee and local
committees to- bring about better CO.
operation between themselves, and in
setting up as attainable and to be at
tanned operating standards higher than
ever were before attained under either
private or government mana cement,
is significant of a revival among rail-
way executives Of the spirit of enthu-
siasm and initiative which in the past
caused the great increases in the eff
cheney and economy of operation of
our railroads. Unless the railways are
enabled to handle more freight many
industries all over the country will be
forced to close down. This will mean
ruin for many business concerns and
unemployment for many hundreds Of
thousands of working men. That dis
aster must be averted."