The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-28
TORRE HAS HARD PLACE DIRECTING ITALIAN CARRIERS
Union Backing Cabinet 0f- ficiaI in Bringing Order
 to Transportation

ROME. April 27.-Eduardo Tore, high commissioner of Italian rail- roads, probably has the most diff ficult task of any of the lieutenants of Premier Mussolini. He is en- deavoring to convert the railroad system, with it's unenviable record of deficit, administration, scan >dal and graft into a profitable, eff. fieient and going concern.
 To help him Signor Tore has the backing of 50011 Fascist railroad men, who have formed union. While they are in a minority as com pared to the total of 240,000 rail- road employees. still they exert a strong influence which is entirely for reform and improvement. They declare they will work 16 hours a day, if necessary, and that they can break any strike which might be called by the majority.
 Fought During Wnr.
 Torre is a deputy. He fought in the war as a captain. and won four medals for bravery. He is also a doctor, and has had experience in or ganiZed sanitation. He is confident of success in his new work. He de- clares that the former method of permitting the railroads to be man. aged by the employees shall cease ant give place to business efficiency. Torre is not talking much about his job from distance; he is already in the midst of it.. The first thing he did was to abolish the Little Par iament" or "Parlamentino" of rail- road union delegates who in the past exercised a veto in the rail- roads management. This consisted of zoo men, each possessed of an annual pass over all lines, and with freedom to absent themselves from their duties whenever they felt in- clined.
 With the abolition of the Par lamentino." telling blow has been dealt to the red" unions who have, up until now, ruled the labor affairs of the Italian lines with an iron hand. These red" unions ordered general strikes, suspension of trains, and boycotts with out number. While Torre will not abolish the red unions as such, he will insist that no employe of the railroads carry on d campaign against the state.
 Torre is also putting a rigid ent to the pass evil. which had reached unbelievable proportions. Twenty one thousand passes were out, and last year 100000 free tickets were issued to railroad men and members of their families The system cost the railroad administration between 3o,000, 900 and 40,O00o00 lire a year. Report On sick List.
 Between 30,000 and 40.000 railroad men daily reported themselves sick and collected sick benefits from the state. This is where Torres medical experience stands him in good stead. and the practice is being handled drastically. Torre discovered, among other things, that some railroad men worked not more than 30 hours a year, and in addition to checking this custom. he is getting rid of a large number of superfluous em- ployes. &4.z-----.
 The pilferinge CT robbery on Ital- ian railways hastieen on such an i'm mense scale thatlit has cost the state 20,000,0O0 lire in indemnities to those injured, in addition to 30,000,- 900 lost through. thefts of coal. Torre is determined to stop this state of affairs and to this end proposes to organize a railroad police force of Fascist who will represS thievery With rifle bullets. if needs be.