Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 190, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1914 — RAILWAY EXPENSES UP [ARTICLE]

RAILWAY EXPENSES UP

ENGINES, CARS, MATERIALS AND COST MORE. Prices of Ties and Other Items Have Nearly Doubled in Ten Years—Repairs and Renewals Are Expensive. The high cost of living has hit the railroads, and has hit them hard, according to some figures issued by the Lehigh Valley railroad. Taking a period of 15 years, from 1898 to 1913, the Lehigh Valley shows with figures from its own books that all items of expense have increased astonishingly. In some cases expense has doubled. Take the important question of the track. The maintenance of way expense per mile of track was 1725.66 in 1898. Last year it was $1,524.13, more than twice as much. This is principally due to more expensive and heavier rails, ties that have almost doubled in price, heavier ballasting and the increased cost of labor. The necessity for a heavier track to carry heavier equipment has, of course, had something to do with it, and, then, again, creosoting ties has also doubled their cost, making the cost of ties today four times what it was 15 years ago. Per mile of road the same proportion holds, the expense having jumped in 15 years from $1,417.47 a year to $3,924,56. A wooden passenger coach used to cost SB,OOO. The new steel coaches, which the Lehigh Valley is using, cost $12,000. Meanwhile, however, there is the undoubted assurance, that they arejsafer. ' freight locomotive costs $25,000, where it cost only $15,000 in 1898. Repairs have jumped in proportion per locomotive Jrom $1,508.05 a year to $2,692.38. This is largely offset, however, by the increased tractive power of the standard locomotive. _

Where the high cost of railroading is most apparent, though, is in general repairs and renewals. Here the Increased cost of both material and labor shows convincingly. On a passenger car this item has increased from $510.27 to $824.15. On a freight is now |70.06, .where it was $31.69 15 years ago. For locomotives there is the difference in the cost of upkeep between 10 cents and 4 cents a mile. < .. In these items labor, of course, is counted on. This has figured for all railroads as a 10 per cent increase. In the operating of trains it is much more than 10 per cent, however, as the'' engineers, conductors and trainmen have had the biggest increases in pay, and the full train-crew bills in passenger runs increased the pay. roll by 40.2 per cent The interesting part of these extra expenses have been largely met by efficiency and better methods of railroading. It has been Impossible to meet them entirely, and that/is why the have been asking for a 5 per cent increase in freight rates, but it Is remarkable how much the railroads have done in the face of the big expenses. As fast as they can they are replacing wooden cars with steel cars, costing half as much again; their roadbeds are far ahead of what they were 15 years ago, and any one who ships freight knows that the freight service of today is so far ahead In promptness and certainty that there is no comparing it with 15 years ago.