Despite continued heavy demands upon
motive power, it was also possible to main¬
tain a low percentage of locomotives await¬
ing general repairs at shops. At the end of
the year, this percentage was 2.7, compared
with 2.6 at the end of 1943.

Freight Rates and Passenger Fares

Freight revenues were adversely affected by
the continued suspension throughout 1944 of
freight rate increases which had been author¬
ized by the Interstate Commerce Commis¬
sion in 1942 and suspended effective May 15,
1943. On September 13, 1944, the National
Association of Railroad and Utihties Com¬
missioners and various State Commissioners
filed a petition with the Commission seeking
the permanent cancellation of these in¬
creases. The railroads thereupon asked that
the Commission permit these increases to go
into effect on January 1, 1945. The motion
of the railroads was opposed by the Secretary
of Agriculture and the War Food Adminis¬
trator. It was also opposed by the Price
Administrator and Economic Stabilization
Director, who also requested the Commission
to revoke the authority increasing passenger
fares. By its decision and order of Decem¬
ber 13, 1944, the Commission suspended the
authority to maintain increases in freight
rates and charges for a further period to and
including December 31, 1945. However, it
found that no modification of its previous
findings with respect to increases in passen¬
ger fares was warranted and thus the author¬
ized increase in passenger fares continues in
effect.

Employes

There was a continued acute shortage
throughout the year of skilled and unskilled
men and women workers available for service
 

on the railroad. The deficiency ranged from
eight to ten thousand at different times dur¬
ing the year.

Under special arrangement between the
governments of Mexico and the United
States, Mexican Nationals have been made
available and the employment of about
4,000 of these men has helped to relieve the
shortage. Women have replaced men in
many positions.

Special training courses for employes have
been effective in fitting new employes for
their work and in promoting the skills of ex¬
perienced employes. At the end of the year
12,050 employes had completed such courses
and 2,573 were enrolled for training.

In addition to these training courses, the
Company has estabhshed for employes a
course in public relations training, the pur¬
pose of which is to bring about a better un¬
derstanding of the importance of public good
will and how it may be developed and main¬
tained. At the end of the year more than
15,000 employes had enrolled for this train¬
ing.

In order that they might better under¬
stand the organization of which they are a
part, a special report addressed to the men
and women of the New York Central was
published, giving them information as to the
Company's operations for the year 1943. A
similar report will be published covering
operations for 1944.

At the end of the year the employe per¬
sonnel of the Company and its affiliated Sys¬
tem hnes totaled 136,000 men and women.
26,011 furloughed employes of the System
were serving in the armed forces of the
United States. Incomplete reports show that
301 former New York Central men had given
their lives for their country.
 

HOW OUR ^INCOME DOLLAR" WAS EARNED iN \9AA
 

OTHER
 


 

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OPERATIONS
 


 


 

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