Seward daily gateway., 1925-12-15
FISCAL YEAR OF 1925 WAS PERIOD OF ADVANCEMENT
 AND ECONOMY
FURTHER ECONOMY PRAcTicED
prooress Made in Substitution of Per manent Steel Bridges for all
 Wooden Trestles

The annual report of Secretary of Interior Work for the fiscal year 1925 treats extensively of the Alaska Rail- road, as follows:
 The fiscal year 1925 was period of advancement on the Alaska Railroad in efficiency and economy of operation. Careful study was made of all depart ments for the purpose of eliminating superfluous employees, abolishing all unnecessary positions, consolidating the work of the departments where possible to prevent duplication of work, loading trains and cars to more nearly their capacity, restriction of train service to the actual necessities so far as consistent with reasonable regularity of service, the economical use and purchase of material, the eco nomical handling of work, and similar matters were given careful superv1 sion. Losses in operation have been reviewed and such operations as were being conducted at a loss and could be discontinued were stopped. The most notable example of this is the dining car service.
 Some progress was made in the substitution of permanent steel bridges for wooden trestles. the filling of oth CT trestles, widening cuts and banks riprapping, and the placing of addi tional gravel under the ties, all o1 which will result in decreased cost o1 maintenance in the future. Further economy can be effected, but the amount will be small, except such as can be made by the expenditures fol the completion of the railroad and fol improvement of fixtures and purchases of equipment and appliances. This field offers attractive opportunities for decreases in maintenance and Op eration costs.
 Economy Effected
 The economy effected can be showr Dy COuupdIl loOA Ol p1y iO1io. Oi AoH the pay roll amounted to $2,498, ,430.9- and for 1925 to S2,O51, ,O26.75, reduc tion of S447, ,4O3.16, or 17.5 per cent Revenue received decreased $45,93' for the year 1925, but when it is ex plained that this decrease was almos entirely due to the decrease in thu shipment of Mayo ore brought abou by a necessity for development worl at the Mayo mine, the result is yer. encouraging because it shows tha with this large decrease in expendi ture by the railroad, which in turl means that the purchases made b. the employees were corresponding, reduced and shipments over the roat for these reasons decreased, ther' was enough advancement in the bus mess of the railroad belt, aside iron the railroad activities to offset thu decreased purchasing power of em ployes. Further, the decrease showl in revenue was in part due to tn, elimination of activities on the par of the railroad such as operation o the dining cars, previously referred to, that were operated at loss.
 An estimate of $11, 1,S7S,7S1 was mad for the cost of completing the railroa' and providing such additional facili ties and equipment as would b necessary for efficient and economica operation of the line and to enabl the railroad to function in accordanc with the purposes for which 1t wa constructed, namely, the proper serv ing of the territory through which passed for the purpose of the devel opment of the country. All of tn work contemplated in the estimate. i