22 BULLETIN 300, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
A single month may show an output greatly exceeding the above 
figures. They are given as an average output on an entire project, 
including all delays and breakdowns. | 
To determine the haulage costs from railroad siding to the place 
of erection the length of haul and the condition of roads must be 
known. For hull material, on fairly dry roads, from 800 to 1,000 
feet B. M. is considered a load; and for machinery about 3,000 
pounds. It is often necessary to use the 8-wheeled log wagon for 
hauling. 
In operation the cable expense is an important item. A hoisting 
cable ordinarily will dig 60,000 yards before it must be discarded, 
although some operators count on using one a month. The worn 
part can sometimes be used for backing or swinging lines, depend- 
ing on the place of the break. 
When new equipment is purchased some contractors expect the job 
to pay for the new machine as well as render a profit. Contractors 
using old equipment have little advantage over purchasers of new 
equipment when bidding for work unless they can float the dredge, 
already assembled, to the new job. When a contractor has several 
machines on one job he usually installs, at a central point accessible 
to a railroad, a completely equipped machine shop, so that he can 
make all necessary repairs in the shortest possible time. The ex- 
pense of this plant must also be included in the contract price. AI 
successful contractors operate two shifts, as the time of completion 
is thereby reduced nearly one-half and the overhead charges re- 
duced accordingly. The output of the day shift compared with that 
of the night shift is a disputed question. Some operators say that 
the day shift will excavate more material than the night force, while 
others maintain the reverse; some assert that the increased output 
of two shifts over that of one shift is about 75 per cent. The night 
shift has the advantage that minor repairs are left for the day 
shift; moreover no fuel is taken on during the night, nor do visitors 
come to interfere with operations. 
Many contractors pay their crews, in addition to a fixed monthly 
wage, a bonus for every yard dug over a certain figure fixed for each 
job as the conditions warrant. These bonuses are divided among 
the men in proportion to their base pay. When two shifts are oper- 
ated the bonus is computed on the total output for the month and 
not on the output per shift. Crews are usually changed from day 
to night shifts and vice versa once a week. When operating several 
machines on one project, contractors save by shifting men from a ma- 
chine which is idle on account of repairs to other machines to take 
the place of the crews taking time off. If the men can not be 
used on other machines they may be used in the repair shop. Ex- 
perience has shown that keeping men busy reduces breakdowns. 
