Evening star., 1921-04-20

1erent sections of rail are rolled be-
tween the weights of 20 and lac
pounds when seven sections will an
swer all the purposes and are all
that are recommended by this asso-
cation. 1t further computes some
OF the wastes involved, and points
ant that want of standardization in
frogs and switches and in width of
roadbed accounts for large avoidable
losses.
Train Operation Attacked.
s.. Wastes due to inefficient train
operation 1t is estimated that losses
aSgreGating perhaps $500, ,0oo.ooo a
year are attributable to managerial
Incompetence in train operation.
Most railroads do not attempt to op-
crate their trains on the basis of
scientifically economical schedules.
although the advantages and practi-
cability of train scheduling have
been successfully demonstrated upon
certain roads. Freight train ter
minal facilities in sense determin
the entire capacity of railroads in
the expeditions handling of trans
portation. and yet these facilities are
permitted to remain in state of
lnadequacy that is astonishing.
-. Miscellaneous wastes. due to
aneiquated equipment and to haGi
management. The exhibit attempts
to show a neglected state of railway
equipment by means of numerous
I With respect to locomotives. il is
noted that only thirty engines out
of $1,000 in service have been equip
ped with feed-water heaters. REPRE-
Senting an avoidable loss u over
$500 per month per engine. and 22.0n0
of the $4,000 locomotives are still
being operated without brick arches.
Failure TO moderniZe locomotives is
estimated to entail an avoidahle fuel
loss of nearly $4,000 annually for
each unimprOved locomotive making
10000 engine miles a year.
Propaganda Waste Charged.
as. Wastes in miscellaneous over
head. advertising and the railway
administrations public propa aganda.
The railway employees declare that
the railroad administrations have
wasted their resources in miscella-
neouS overhead, advertising (S26.000.-
900 in 191OD. legal expenses (S13.-
100000 in 1910. and in the mainte-
nance of propaganda calculated to in
fiuence public opinion toward rail-
road affairs. In this way the railroad
administrations have attached to op-
Grating expenses large fixed charges
and administrative costs On the
other hand, in the matter of eXpendi-
lures to promote the developme mt
and Improvement of the railroad in
duStry the managementS have been
peculiarly shortsighted
"e. Administrative neglect to main
tain engineering research. and neg
lect or resistance to Improvement
. generally. Railroad administrators
have been so backward and SO ad
dicted to rule-of-thumb methods that
they have neglected or refused to
establish scientific laboratories and
bureaus of research for the improve
ment of the railway service, as has
been done successfully in all progress
sive industries"
Cav. (nst E;udiup- wa. Enurht
According to the exhibit, railway
managers in many cases have sys-
tematically fought scientific cost
finding methods; introduction of the
newer methods of personnel han
ding: standardization in equipme mt
and similar innovations. In respect
to cost accounting, the exhibit ar
CUES that railway equipment de-
terioration often has occurred be-
cause the management has declared
dividends without regard to the
maintenance of adequate reserves to
cover depreciation. Regarding per-
sonnel efficiency. Norman Collyer of
,the Southern Pacific is quoted as
saying that five times a minute. 300
times an hour, 1900 times a day or
is lost and replaced. In other words.
the labor turnover of the railroads.
according to his estimate, is over
140 per cent.
The exhibit specifics in considera-
BILE detail many of the particular
economies which the employees think
should be adopted. but. they say, are
not in general use upon the rail-
ways, and alleged inefficiencies COM
planned of being based upon COM
Parsons with the standards of ac-
tual experience and the practices in
use upon well managed roads.
Data Derived From Studies.
The data in the exhibit were de-
, rived mainly from studies and reports
of consulting engineers. mechanical
engineers and other technicians in the
railway industry. from the estimates
and judgments of the executive Of
ficers of many large railroads and
from experts in matters of railway
equipment, according to union Of
f1cials. Matter is included also from
the proceedings of important railway
associations and clubs and from rail-
vestigations and the reports of Of
f1cials of the United States Railroad
Adm Illustration.
The employees raise the point that
"the guarantee to the railway COM
panies by the United States govern
ment is not to be construed as an un-
conditional privilege granted to the
railway operators to levy fixed charg-
es upon shippers, consumers. employees
and the public in general without any
accountability on the part of the rail-
way administration themselves" The
employees take the position that the
railway inspectors must assume GER
tain responsibilities and that among
these responsibilities is the obliga- :
tion to give the public a railway ad-