New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-10

Naturally the first inquiry is as to
how much can be saved in the labor
payment, since this bulks so much
larger than material costs. The total
amount actually paid to railroad en-
ployees in 1920 was SO SOS, 00O, 900, and
the so-called Order No. 2 increasing
railroad employees wages 90 per cent
was in effect from May /, 1920, and
not from January /. If the wage in
crease had been effective January 1
the total 1920 wage bill would have
been $3,913,0oO,o00 The Wage Board
has allowed a reduction Of IL per cens.
This makes possible a saving of be-
tween S400,O00,o00 and $500,O00,oo0.
The Wage Board refused to permit
the abrogation of the national agree
ments. The national agreements are a
set of rules which prescribe uniform
working conditions and uniform wages
for infinitely described classes of work
for all railroad employees, whether
living where SIS month rents a COM
Portable house and garden or where
fiat costs $35 a month. 1t has been
estimated that the abrogation of the
national agreements would save the
railroads S300,ooO,OOo and that the
abolition of full crew laws, what the
employees themselves call feather-bed
allowances, etc, would save the rail-
roads another S300,000,000. Probably
for the time being the percentage of
decrease of wages which has been fixed
by the recent decision of the Wage
Board cannot be modified by railroad
managers. There remains, therefore,
the question of a reduction in the
number of men employed and a grad
ual modification, if not abrogation, of
the national agreements and the full
crew and feather allowances.
There is here a S600,000,000 stake to
work for, and probably there are few
railroad managers who would acknowl-
edge that they are beaten by the Wage
Board on this question and who are
ready to lie down on it, Most OF them
believe that they can get at least a
since Oh CnaC SOUU,UOU,OUO.
The question of economies through
modification of uniform and uneco-
nomcal conditions of work is inextri-
cably interviewer with that of reduc-
ton in the number of employees. The
year 1916 is a good one with which to
. make comparisons, for in that year the
/ railroads were clearly solvent and traf-
fic conditions were comparable to what
may be expected when a general re-
vival of business takes place, making
allowance for normal annual increases.
In 1916 the total number Of revenue
ton miles carried was 962 ,444,000, 900,
and in 1920 the revenue ton mileage
was 409,971 100000. The number Of
passengers carried one mile in 1916
was a4,sse 900 900, and in 1920
46,725 900, 900.
Ton miles and passenger miles are
the best measure of volume of bust
ness handled by railroads, but ex-
penses arc measured more accurately
by train miles The total freight serv-
ice train mileage in 1916 was GAL 000,-
600 and in 1920 634 10000 900. The total
passenger train mileage was 583,oo0,ooo
in 1915 and 572,0O0,0Oo in 1920. The
total transportation service train mile
age, therefore, was, roughly, 100000
600 less in 1920 than in 1916. This is
less than per cent, but shows con-
siderable gain in operating economy,
since the volume of traffic was more
than 10 per cent greater in 1920 than
in 1916