THE JOURNAL

MONTHLY MAGAZINE

of the employees of the Lorca to Baza and Águilas Railway.

N^o 1.Price: 10 céntimos. Back copy: 20 céntimos. Aguilas, JANUARY 1917.

Directors: Alfonso Jimenez and Manuel Miras.

2

3

LARGE OBJECTS

All of, or nearly all of, the railway companies in Spain are authorized to charge 50 per cent surcharge for packages whose volume of more than one cubic metre weigh less than 125Kg. This is shown in the General Tariff, but it can be seen that the benefits are small that the companies receive as transporting large packages costs more than is charged in the surcharge.

Even though he renounces that these lines write to show the moives or defects for why such a thing occurs, it will be written here the operative proceedings to follow, to have the security of those cases en which the surcharge is processed.

Whatever the exterior form is of the merchandise, it is correct to multiply the volume of these packages by 125Kg, whose product will be the minimum price of the deal; once the weight is ascertained on the scales, if it is less than calculated, one understands that one must charge the extra price for the transport of 50 per cent due to the volume; if on the contrary, the scales show the same or higher weight than this then it is not necessary to add the surcharge. Imagine there is a package in an ordinary box or whatever package that is similar.

To verify the volume,one measures with a metre rule the length, width and depth, multiplying these. So, if the length is 1m 30, the width 0m 80, and depth 0m 70 = 0.728 = 728dm³.

SO, the weight that one should apply to the package will be at least 728 x 125 = 91Kg.

It is evident, therefore, that if the weight of the parcel according to the scales is less than 91Kg one should apply the surcharge.

Antonio Martínez

Subinspector of freight

TARIFFS

CANCELLATION. - The northern companies and the M.Z.A. have announced that on 1^st February they will cancel the N.M.19 fares and their addition for the transport of wines and N.M. 23 p.v. for various merchandise. Now one can see that the big companies are starting to think about raising the tariffs to compensate for the huge rise in the cost of coal and other materials.

STATISTICAL STUDIES

Although my knowledge is patchy and I have spent hardly four years in studying statistics, I should like to tell you about my work.

All parts of a nation, especially big companies, who are involved with complex operations, use a system of statistics to be able to know how their respective businesses are progressing and to know the best economic way of proceeding. Withought doubt, amongst these are the railways which have the best and biggest use of statistics which stand out above all for their quality by relating the passengers and merchandise in terms of pesetas. Of our general report of annual statistics which is presented using Model 109 - one can derive a number of documents pertaining to different concepts regarding the previous year - in the dismantling of this eloquent and laborious work, all of the Administration Departments are involved with presenting their respective data. This is apart from the data supplied to distinct official departments such as The National Engineering Office, Consulates, The Spanish Office of Statistics, etc. etc.

For the importance, which has been demonstrated, in wrapping up we should dedicate a these labours our greatest attention without losing the view that the exact result produced can at times have good repercussions for us every time that these benefits are our benefits as well for these that we must fly with the highest desire and most honoured desire to complete our obligations.

Our primary statistical method regarding passengers and merchandise, without copying any other railway, is nearly perfect. The best test of this is the best interpretation used anywhere. True, one can discern certain discrepancies in the criterion (no-one is obliged to be homogeneous in thought) that with good will and the necessary discipline in following the clear instructions in the course of comparing we can confirm that we are getting close to the "Meta" with the satisfaction that we have completed our task happy that we can live with the work method which is how employees trust in their interests.

We now start the labours of a new year (congratulations to all) with an unshakeable abnegation which is the base of all man's desires.

Now and for today I give the end of these badly filled in papers, not before showing that if anybody suggests an idea to change the system then he should send them to "The Boletín" for us to study, being sure that it will be made welcome for our superiority that in this material we have always demonstrated a very wide criterion.

Eugenio Viseras y Alcaraz

Inspector of Accounts and Statistics.

HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION

FIRST AID

On the 21^st December we celebrated a ceremony in the Outpatients Department of our Hospital, that not for the modest rigidity that it was done, leaving the fact that it was wrapped in transcendental importance, not only for being the only one in Spain, but for the the extraordinary success of it. I am referring to the oficial exams in First Aid whereby many employees of this railway company were prepared to subscribe to the Saint John's Association of the British railways.

Our percieved Southern inactividy is fictitious, and we show the spotaneous and enthusiastic energy that every noble idea is found in our latent will, always inclining towards the good and disposed to the emulation of dignified love. A good example of this we give to our company healthcare workers and their final exams, acted by the company doctor, Dr Calero, who had given the place for the constitution of the competent Official Body for the practice of "First Aid" in urgent assistance in multiple accidents and knowledge of the transport of grave injuries in their practice of immediate aid. The creation of the body of healthcare that praises the Directors of this company, whose social reach we cannot imagine, derives from thehonorable "Saint John's Cross" that imprints its noble character, and is constituted by employees of diverse departments of the Company and the most varied social situations of same, from a workshop apprentice to the most intelligent and skilled lathe operator and adjustor of same who with their skilled hands maintain the complex mechanisms of our locomotives or the hard material of the iron ore wagons and from the humble administrative office auxiliary or managers of these, the Staion Masters, train workers, etc. etc. all without distinction of class nor category have been model students, assiduous co-workers with only a single idea, to improve themselves considerably, not only at the level of the character of honorary employees of some important company, nor in the society in which they live or in the whole nation that they grow, because this noblist idea to which they sacrificed their mental energies and their free time with pure love and unshakeable will is more human, more social, the most worthy of applause, already breathing in the intimate satisfaction to save the life of any fellow being in trouble, at the honourable end to avoid the mourning and pain of a family, to ease the suffering of an individual and in a word, practicing the most sublime of the works of charity. This honorabale group of "healthworkers of the Railway Company" on reaching the goal of their aspitations, have obtained a prize that they have not come close to today in understanding how much their transcendental social importance, only that they have understtod that they have documents that, in their homes, are already honoured, now in the performance of their social situations, they are always of financial benefit, by that of more value than one can award, for the inestimable value of replacing the health where death looms funereal wings or where fatality is preparing the maternal ruin and moral to be forever loved, saying that it is always the obliges circumstances of all well-born men, to care about all who suffer.

I repeat, in Spain it is the healthcare system in railways and the accumulation of property that of that emerges, returns to our healthcarey systems the high honour of starting a social benefit which must not be delayed in other regions and similar organizations the noble copying and useful organization, doubly useful for its inseperable fusion with the daily services of their respective departments.

With the most enthusiastic attention to such a fraternal and noble idea, albeit humble, however, sincere applause to those whom all of society has dedicated the honour of the honourable body of healthcare workers of theis company and their dignified Director's personality.

Alejandro Santamaría

Head of Healthcare Services

Sales from Railway Traffic

BY WEEK

January 1 to 6 - Ptas. 85,298.02

January 7 to 13 - Ptas. 90,166.85

January 14 to 20 - Ptas. 97,146.85

January 21 to 27 - Ptas. 110,110.97

STAFF MOVEMENT

COMMERCIAL SERVICES = Mr Joaquín Morales has been named as a specialist.

TRACTION.-The following have presented their resignations: Francisco Villa, Francisco Ibáñez, Ginés Acosta, Antonio Bolarín, PedroYúfera, Ginés García and Pedro Serrano,

The motive for these decisions were to improve their luck, to which we wish them the best.

MOVEMENT.-Mr Ramón Abellán has been promoted to 2^nd Class telegraphist.

WAYS AND WORKS.-On 12^th of this month, Marí Josefa Sánchez, the level crossing operator passed away.

We send our condolences to her family

The labourer Manuel Gimenez who worked for N^o 11 group has been moved to N^o 3 group of the branch line, and labourer José Gómez who started work this month and was translated to 11^th group.

PROBLEM

A special goods train leaves Baza with x tonnes of various goods. In Serón it unloads half of its contents, and half a tonne more. In Almanzora it unloads half of the remainder and half a tonne more, and in Huércal again half of the remainder and half a tonne more. It arrives in Almendricos with five tonnes. How many tonnes did it contain when it left Baza?

The development of the great networks of the railways of the South American Continent offers many points of interest, especially in the actual moments when one is looking at the huge importance to all nations the arrival of a wide reaching system of means of communication. The following state contains information regarding the distances of railways in production in all countries comprising the great continent, compared to the number of inhabitants and the surface area of their lands at the end of 1914. For reasons that the reader can easily understand, it is not possible to collect the statistics from more recent years but there will be little difference as nearly all railway construction was stopped at the outset of the war.

Comparative development of the Railways of South America

We have added to this interesting table the data for Spain with the object of giving an idea of the development of our railways with respect to the those of the "New World". The comparison serves to demonstrate how poor we are in Spain, for example, one can see in Argentina that every 218 persons have a kilometre of line whereas here a kilometre has to serve no less than 1,160 people. Great Britain also has one kilometre of track for every thousand people, but on the contrary, she has one kilometre of track for every 10 square kilometre of land.

The South American Continent is divided, without counting the colonies of The Guineas, into ten republics: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, and in each one of these countries the railways have developed distinctly.

(To be continued)

Correspondence

Letters to this page must be accompanied by a coupon. Letters are to be limited to 50 words.

FROM HERE TO THERE

Advice from Madrid, Zaragoza and Alicante

It seems that to replace Mr Gustavo Bauer, recently deceased, as President of The Board of Administration of The Madrid, Zaragoza, Alicante Railway Company, they designated one of his sons, who was assistant engineer to the Board.

In addition, the second son of the deceased Mr Bauer has entered the said Board of Administration occupying the post of the absent Mr Eduards Dato, who has renounced his post.

From the Gazette of los Caminos de Hierro

The Baeza junction.

Formerly the station whereby the lines Manzanares to Córdoba (M.Z.A.) and the Almerian lines (South of Spain Ry) had the name Baeza. It has been changed to El Arquillo. And, from the 10^th of this month it will revert to being called Baeza. This station also has a electric tram from Linares and on the other hand an electric tram from La Loma or in effect, Úbeda. As this thram from La Loma serves directly the population of Baeza, which is a significant distance from the general line from Manzanares to Córdoba, so they have changed the name of the station situated on the tram track to Viveros de Baeza.

Given the importance that Baeza Junction has, being the point of contact between the general line of Andalusia and that which goes to Linares, Úbeda, Almería and Granada, we have printed this information of the new denomination.

Oranges, pomegranates, etc., with the destination France. - The French railway companies interested in the tariffs for slow trains which are detailed below, for th etransport from Spain a said nation of pomegranates, lemons, melons, quinces and oranges were temporarily elevated, or will be up until 15^th February 1917, fixed per 8,000Kg with a minimum of 5,000Kg per wagon which we show these tariffs, for transport packed or loose;

Special Tariff num. 18§ III north (Series E.F. num. 2 re: Alicante and Andalusian).-Amplification of special tariff num. 18§III north(Series E F. num. 2 re: Alicante and Andalusian).-Special tariff num. 19§IV North (series E.F.O.num 1 re: Alicante and Andalusian)-International tariff E.M. num. 1-International tariff num. 16-International tariff E.M.L. num. 13.

The indicated action was put in place fron the 15^th December.-In consequence, the northern companies, M.Z.A. and Andalusian are informing the public that for the application of the mentioned tariffs for loose deliveries or packed, we will demand a minimum of 8,000Kgs per wagon.

Salted fish.-On 1^st February Concession num. 5 of M.Z.A., previously R.O. of 1^st February 1887 that refers to transport in p.v. referring to tuna, bonito, salted tuna and salted and pressed sardines, de Huelva to the stations between Chinchilla and Alicante, between Pozo Cañada and Cartagena, between Fuente La Higuera y Grao de Valencia and between Valencia and Portbou inclusive priced between 28 and 50 pesetas per tonne will still be cancelled.

From the railway transporters

CURIOSITIES

The names of the stations are announced automatically in the coaches of the urban trams and railways of England my means of gramophones.

The tariffs in the English railways have suffered an increase since 1^st January of 50 per cent, and at the same time they have greatly increased the number of trains. In Italy they have done the same, having suffered and increase in the tariffs for merchandise.

There is a story from Central Africa that they received the following telegram from a station in the offices of transport:

"A lion has eaten the pointsman and is trying to get into my office. I await your instructions: URGENT.".

We don't know which instructions they gave in such an extraordinary situation. Whoever would want to work in a station in such circumstances!

MISCELLANEOUS

The last delivery of coal has cost the huge amount of 126 pesetas a tonne. The coal that our company used previously before the war cost 37 ptas. The increase, therefore, is some 90 ptas. per tonne and as we use 12,000 tonnes per year, the increase in costs purely in this matter has been more than a million pesetas.

And the representatives of other companies are asking for discounts on the tariffs!

The English companies, who before the war employed 11,000 women, now have 33,000 en employ. This number represents something less than 5 per cent of the railway staff during the war. In France and Spain the percentage is much higher, approaching 14 per cent in some lines.

With coal at 100 ptas. per tonne the amount saved with just one shovelful per kilometre per locomotive will result in a saving for this company of 250,000 per year.

NOTICE

We request that all our collaborators in this publication who would send us their good works, to keep them limited in size.

In addition, the Management reserves the right to withhold any works due to their length or for whatever reason.

Health Service

On 21^st December, under the auspices of the Company Doctor Mr. Calero, the exams took place for certain employees to join the healthcare service. We understand that everyone, without exception, showed perfect understanding of First Aid. The exam papers are already in the hands of The Management of "The Association of St. John" in London, and wehope that very soon we will be able to announce the names of those who have received the Certificate of the aforementioned charitable association.

The accident that occured with the brakeman Mr. Marín in Pulpí on 21^st December, and whose consequences were fortunately not grave, the injuries from which were treated by brakeman Mr. Hilario Moreno, who has benefitted from his studies as a member of the Healthcare Services of this company. And we are seeing the practical advantages of the First Aid service.

MONTHLY NOTES

We know that, The President of The Board of Administration has recovered from the illness that he suffered from last month.

We celebrate his recovery.

On the 16^th of this month military train num. 352 was pelted with stones by children at Km.36.

From what we understand, said children were placed under the order of the judge who sent them to prison.

This same train ran over a cavalryman at Km. 18.700 without serious injury.

At Km. 58.700 there could have been a serious accident when a goods train met a police car coming in the opposite direction. The situation was saved by the skills of the engine driver Mr. Ibañez, who was able to stop the train 250m from the police vehicle.

Congratulations to Mr. Ibañez for his skills in such a critical moment.

As our readers know, there were five employees of the office in Águilas as well as two from the London office who have conscripted in the new British Army, making seven from out company. Of these, two have already died; Mr. Alleyn from the London office, and Mr. Acomb, secretary to our director. Lieutenant Acomb was close to a mine in The Somme on 22^nd August and died instantly.

He was with us for only a short time, but during this he created much affection, and his death is felt greatly, by those who knew him.

In addition, Lieutenant Eycott and Sergeant Thompson returned to England with serious injuries but we understand that they have now returned to their regiments. We wish them good luck.