The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-04-22
SHOW WAGE RAIL WASTE
CONTINUED From Page One)

Continued From Page One)
the employees at s57S,500.000 year
and other wastes. impossible of esti-
nation, would equal that amount, it
was declared
The employees point out al
legged wastes In the present railroad
administrations and maintain that If
those deficiencies and defaults In
management were redressed and re-
paired. there would remain no reason
for attempting to reduce wages. AS a
method OF correcting wasteful meth
DDS and increasing the efficiency oil
employees, the exhibit advocated CO.
operative effort between management
and workers and added that this CO.
I, through the medium uniform agree
ments reached by collective bargain
| ing.
The Estimated Waste.
| Recoverable and easily estimated
wastes were divided by the exhibit
under nine heads having to do largely
with construction and care Of locomo-
tives and shop machinery, cost &C
counting and labor turnover.
The wastes which the unions said
could not be estimated in terms OF
money included variety of subjects
ranging from defective train equip
ment and tracks through allegations
of incompetent and extravagant man
agement. In the last class emphasis
was laid upon publicity and advertis
ing and on what the unions thought
were unnecessary legal expenses. Such
expenditures, it was claimed, have
! served to increase and have been
charged wrongfully to operating orsts
! 1t was also charged that much oil
the defective equipment which the
arrangements Of the road are using as
an argument for the need of decreas-
ed wage costs, could have been avoid
ed If the roads had declared less lib
eral dividends and use proper pro-
portion of their earnings to establish
requirements funds. The following
estimated by the unions witnesses
and for which authorities are quoted
giving specifications and explanations
as set forth in the body of the ex-
hibit.
"One. undermining locomotives
Gross reparable deficiencies In the
tractive power of the railways Is
, pointed out and it is shown that by
systematic application to the locomo-
such as superheaters, brick arches
mechanical stokers and feed water
/ heaters, there would result an annual
saving of at least $272 100000.
! TWO. Locomotive operation. The
magnitude of the railways coal bill is
considered and certain of the larger
wastes calculated, and 1t is concluded
that by use of better methods of coal
purchase, coal inspection, careful re-
motives an annual saving could be
effected of at least $5O,000,00O.
/ Three. Shop Organization I'm
proyements. The sad and almost in
credible inadequacy and out Of date
equipment of the railway shops is re
viewed, the defenseless wastes con
sidered. and it Is conservatively esti-
mated that by proper shop organiza
ton an annual saving could be effect
ed of at least $17,000,000.
-Four. Power plant fuel saving
The obsolete and wasteful condition
of the power plants in the railway
shops is considered and it is estimat
ed that in this field the possible saw
4 ing of fuel would, by itself amount tc
an annual total of $10,000,00O.
Five. Water Consumption Savings
! The railroads expenditure in main
tenance of way and structure is re-
and 1t Is estimated that easily attain
able savings In the consumption oil
water alone would amount annually
to s12,600,000.
six Service of Supply Savings
The expenditure of the railways fol
supplies has been inquired into and
the avoidable losses surveyed, and il
is estimated that the wastes and abus-
es amount annually to not less than
$75.000,000.
"Seven. Shop Cost Accounting Saw
Affnnrinn ho civ To I,r
matter of uniform railroad statistics
and the use of efficient methods oil
cost accounting only, an annual saw.
ing would be feasible to the amount
!. of S10,900,000.
Eight. Labor Turnover Savings
The industrial losses due to unneces-
sary labor turnover and to inadequate
training of personnel has been re.
viewed, and it is estimated that the
turnover alone amounts to more thar
$4,000, 900.
Mine. Loss and Damage Savings
Inquiry has been made into the amount
or the annual loss and damage ac-
count of the railways, and into the
preventable causes of such losses, and
1t is estimated that an annual saving
might be effected to the amount Of
100000 900.
!, Total. 1t will be noted that the
avoidable wastes here listed are but
partially represented in the accom-
panying money estimates, neverthe-
less, the sum of these incomplete fig
ures represent an annual unnecessary
waste of $57S, 500, 000."
Further Large Scale Wastes.
Further alleged large scale wastes
losses and inefficiencies in the equip.
ment and operation of the railways
difficult of approximate estimate In
dollars and cents, are given in the ex
hibit as follows:
lone. Wastes due to remediable
defects in car equipment
Two. Wastes due to defective
power equipment.
Three. Wastes through inefficient
handling of tractive power.
-Four. Wastes due to inadequate
engine terminals.
Five. Wastes due to defective
maintenance of way. The American
Railway Engineering association, dis
cussing losses through lack of stan
graduation. states that over fifty diff
1erent sections of rail are rolled be-
tween the weights of seventy and one
hundred forty pounds, when sever
sections will answer all the purposes
and are all that are recommended by
this aSSno{Qfinnb f,1rfho, ron, mt oe