The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-27
Government Handed Back Rock
Island Saddied With Increases.
Annual Statement Is Issued
Increased Expense Shown.
RATIO TO REVENUE HIGHER
Maintenance of Way Depart-
ment Shows Biggest Increase.
Own More Cars and Haul More
Tonnage in 1929 Than 1919.

THE most startling feature of the
business of the year according to the
forty-first annual report to the stock
holders of the Rock Island. lis that
your property was returned at the end
of the period of government owner
ship saddled with an increase of
S44. 900, 600 in the pay roll"
The greatest change which has oc-
Cured in the affairs of the road DUR
ing the year. according to the report,
is in the wages and labor conditions
as distinguished from those obtaining
in 1919.
Operating Expense Increased.
The operating expenses of the road
increased from $101, 1,497,7S3S1 in
1919 to 33,535.S3224 in 1920. an
increase of s32.0SS. S.0sS.9s, or 31.57 per
! cent.
| The greatest increase came in the
maintenance of way department,
amounting to 34.SS per cent The
/ transportation department. which
covers the operation OF trains and IN
cludes the wages paid to trainmen
was second. with an increase of s2.49
per cent: The maintenance of equip
| ment which includes the wages paid
to shop labor. cost 29.41 per cent more
in 1920 than it did in 1919.
Brass Hats" Didn't Get IL.
Office workers and general officials
We're not responsible for the increase.
the figures show, since the increase in
| the cost of that department amounted
to only 1903 per cent
The ratio of operating expenses TO
lhe operating revenue of the road
mas increased from 7494 per cent .n
1913 to S7.03 per cent in 1919. and
10 94.07 per cent in 1920.
Inc total operating revenue of the
ROAD IN 1913, amounted to $116.624-
80, 80, an ana the operating expenses to
. of S15.126.950.
IN 1920 the operating revenue was
I,s4o,SfS and the operating ex-
: pense was $1Ss.535.S32, leaving q ner
revenue of only $9,4I1,141.
What Equipment Upkeep Cost.
: In line with. the increase in the cost
| OF the maintenance of equipment fig
ures are given in the report Showing
Y the cost of maintaining different tvpes
OF equipment during the past five
years 1t cost $3,636.07 to maintain
locomotive during 1916; $7,570.79
IN i9Is, and $9,974.71 in 1920; il cost
e $TSIl5 to maintain the average pas
n senger car in 1916, S1.S12.77 in 1918
: and $2.356.73 in 1920; the cost of
e maintaining a freight car in 1915 was
n $11095, in 1919, $219.64, and in 1920
s270.6O
f Own More Cars Now.
r The Rock Island owned 1,1O3 pas.
e senger train cars in 1919, and 1,iOO
y in 1920. The road owned 47,O6s
: freight cars in 1919, and 1926 in
1920. The total cars owned in 1915
It numbered 52,757, and in 1920, $3.50
e The capacity of tons of the freight
= cars owned by the road in 1920 was
c l.7S9,685, and the capacity in 1926
was 1,799,7O5
|. The miles of road operated by this
: Rock Island in 1919 numbered
# S,055.67, and in 1920, S,123.24.
>: The number of cars handled in each
If freight train in 1919 average 2049
Increased efficiency in operation is in
n dicated by the fact that in 1920 the
e average number of cars handled ir
IT each freight train had been increased
if to 21.O2.
II Tonnage Carried Increased.
o The total number of tons of all com.
modities carried by the road in 1918
was 26.605,45s, as against total OF
= 9,S67,233 In 1920, showing an in.
crease in the total of 3.261.775 tons
Increases in the amount of commodi.
ties carried were reported in all pro-
ducts-agriculture. forestry. manufac-
turing and mining. with the exception
of the products of animal fusbandry