The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-13

Never Have Managers Worked
So Comparatively,
Ayers Hard
By WILLIAM HARD.

The Democratic party in its
platform claims that the Esch- Cum
minis transportation law resulted
in no improvements in service. At
any rate, it claims that the law
has not resulted in the promised
improvement"
The tone of the Democratic
platform toward the situation pro-
duced by the Esch- Cummins trans
portation law is bitterly hostile;
and in no party platfo1m-not
even in that of the Republicans
is there any recognition of the
efforts which the railroad man
ayers have successfully or unsuc-
cessfully, but certainly laboriously,
put forth during the last four
years to improve the railroad plant
with which they serve the Amer
lean public.
The truth is Mat never before
in our history have the railroad
managers tried so hard to be good
and so hard to be efficient. If
they have failed, then private
ownership of railroads in this
country is indeed a failure; be-
cause never before have the rail-
road managers so concertedly and
so comparatively striven through
their national organizations to
produce nationally beneficial re-
suits for travellers and shippers.
Have Spent Vast Sums.
AS part Of this endeavor during
the last four years they have spent
vast sums Of money on our railroad
plant to increase its carrying ca
pacity. They have bought some
eighty-five hundred new locomo-
tives and some four hundred and
fifty thousand new freight cars
largely to replace old locomotives
. of smaller power and old freight
cars of smaller size.
In the year 1920 the average loco
motive on American railroads had
a tractive pulling power Of 1886
pounds. On July Of this year the
average locomotive on American
railroads had tractive pulling
power Of 1851 pounds.
In 1920 the average freight car
on American railways could carry
a little less than forty-one and Il
half tons. On July 1 Of this year
1t could carry almost forty-four tons.
This improvement in the pulling
power Of locomotives and in the
carrying capacity Of freight cars is
regarded by railroad managers as
an achievement Of high merit and
Of high value.
They regard it as part Of the
reason why it has been brought
about that now for a long time, no
matter how much traffic is offered
to the railroads by the shipping
public, there is virtually always a
surplus of locomotives and of
freight cars and virtually never any
shortage of them.
Improvement in Equipment.
Other parts Of the reason. for that
development are said by the rail.
ment in the management of equip
the condition Of equipment.
They point out, for instance, that
in 1920, in March. at the end of Fed
eral control, the percentage of loco
motives unserviceable because of be
ing in need of repairs was nearly
twenty-six. That percentage In
March of this year had been re
duced down nearly to nineteen.
When railroad manager sees
the percentage of unserviceable
locomotives declining, it is for him
poetry; and he feels that the public
ought to sing with him.
He Is not quite so statistically
happy when he comes to compare
the federal.control percentage and
the present private-control per
centage Of freight cars needing re
pairs.
In March of 1920, at the end Of
federal-control, the percentage Of
freight cars needing repairs had
been brought down to 60. In the
succeeding year under private con
troll 1t rose to 1913. This year in
March it had been brought back
down again to IL; but 1t still was
slightly above the federal-contro
percentage OF March Of 1920.
The friends Of federal control use
this fact as one of their strong
arguments. The railroad managers
on the other hand, maintain that
under federal control, when sc
many freight cars were away I. on
their own home lines and running
on the lines of other companies, the
inspectors did not send them tc
the repair shops as frequently al
their condition really actually re
quired.
Carrying Capacity Larger.
This controversy would need q
special investigating commission Il
solve 1t; and this writer ventures
to have no opinion about 1t. He