New-York tribune., 1875-02-13
MASSACHUSETTS, RAILWAYS.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COM
MISSlONERS

REGOhl DOAhD OC hhihhNhD 49,
MISSIONERS.
RECEIPTS OF GRAIN IN BOSTON DURING THE PAST
FIVE YEARs-rHE EXPERIMENT OF CHEAP TRAINS
FOR woRKINGMEN TRIED WITH GREAT SUCCESS
THE GRANGER MovEMENT-THE SARATOGA
COMPACT.
The sixth annual report of the Board Oh
Railroad Commissioners OF Massachusetts is pamphlet
Of great interest The Commissioners are Charles r.
Adams, r., A. d. Briggs, and Francis NJ johnson. ihe
report Is supplemented by an appendix, OF WHOM 'Ho
following are the important elements: "New roaosi
Receipts OF grain In Boston for five years.; Iaouar
statement OF accidents reported TO the Boaru; DIN
concerning street railways" reports on petitions
and complaints heard by the Board; Cost OF trans
porting freight to and Boston," The report OF the
Commissioners opens with statistical nformaton IN re-
gard to the earnings OF operation, and train mile
age of the 90 railroads the State. The following is
condensed statement:
The average OF roads has been $68S3 90 per me
exclusive OF equipment, which has amounted 10 an al
ditional per mile OF s7Ol The average cost OF an
equipped road is returned at s6 Ssi ca per mile Inc
ties OF which slI7 65793 OF is stock and ss55333 O. Is
debt The increase or debt during tho year mas Deea %
upward OF $1 Of which s90000OO was included
IN the returns Of tue eight Boston roads.
The average cost OF running tran one milo mas Deen
56 the passenger service, and sii on the ireght
The total earnings for the year amount s3 5i
falling of OF OF one cent from those OF
the previous year; the falling of n the earnings
from freights which decreased sll5j9)O while thOse
from passengers increased sj23sl OF the decrease In
freight receipts s3755i TOOK place on the Boston ana
Albany The cost or operation has amounted TO s9giI "
each mile OF road operated; varying from sllSo ~
the Springfield AthO and North Eastern 10 SO52s 10
Boston and Albany. IL mas consumed 50 per cent
OF the earnings, leaving margin OF only u per
cent as profit on the business Inc totai net lncOho
reported is s0033O1 TO- or Ga per cent on the pera
nvestmentthat H. upon the value or the property
1t stands upon the books OF the corporations dsthct
from stock ana Indebtedness which may represent
fictitious temporary values. or 60 cOrporatons %
paid dividends ranging from 10 10 per cent Ine aver
age fare charged Der mile on all roads IS cents
per mile ranging from IA mills per mile for season
ticket passengers for long distances 10 10 cents pr c
for singetcke passengers Tor very snort distances
As regards equipment 1t appears that SSi miles out OF
O 20 per cent OF the entire main nes OF the
corporations laid In steelan Increase or 253 miles
over the amount reported last year. The Boston ana
Albany reports the largest increase having gone up
ia miles TO 30l miles at present; DenB
more threequarers OF It's entire main line IN place
OF less than onenalf The increased use OF the tram
brake is most noticeable. the close OF the last year
1t had been applied 313 locomotives, and TO 9T pas
senger cars, out of totai OF l,29i l,29i.,.-.
In conclusion 10 maybe briefly stated tndt the average
mile OF sngle-track road he mile OF double track DebR
estimated at two miles OF single track Of which returns
made TO this Board has cost $1,000 ana tnat its
equipment has cost additional sum OF $4,000, making
Total Of s51 600 for the mile OF singletrdck equipped
road which Represented By S33iOO Of capital STOCK
and SIS 900 OF debt The gross yearly revenue from ~ rs
sI1 .4 of which 81 $685. per cent is consumed in
the of operation, and $3.50, or 81 per cent remains
profit FOrynIne per cent oI tAe revenue Is 49,,
from the passenger business, aud 40 per cent from
freghts and the balance from miscellaneous sources
There Is locomotive to every three miles OF rOdu
and one pasSengercar every y miles, There are 375
yards OF sdings freight cars, and persons empoyed
each mile ana over t there annually pass 5-O4 pas
senger 3O67 freight trains, carrying 2oOOJ asSeh
gers and 1900 tons OF freight lt ~ clOssch ny que
highway, aud person Is killed or D urea upOh IL III
every ten years
The following tables, showing In condensed form
the roccipts OF gram at Boston during tho past five
years, are of great Importance at this time: