The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-19
THE MORNING STAR AED CATHOLIC ME-

roads in the United States waa estlmatt u
a. four billion ak hundred and fifty mil
lion dollars. These figures indlcate an
average cost of about Sli6 coo per mile In
Europe, and nearly $50 900 in the United
States. We may here mention that, as
regards the expense of railway bnlinlog'
British India seems to stand mldway 90
tween Europe and America. 10 leeo hin
dostan had some two hundred ana hity
million dollars invested in $50 miles OF
track ian average coat of some $75 700 to
the mie), while in 1877, 500 miles had
been constructed with an aggregate out
lay of five hundred and forty million DOL
lars, showing a slightly increased mean
disbursement.
five turn now to rolling stock and bus
iness, we find the comparison, as might be
expected, extremely .upfavorable to this
country. Thus the whole mum Der of loco
motives in 1875 on European roads was
39, ,63l against Is $50 in the United States.
At the same date there were nearly 90, ,oOo
passenger cars in Europe, while less than
IA 900 were run, on American reads. 1t
may be said these figures are 5eluslve,
because our coaches are more capaclous,
but the fact is that the nnmb ber OF persons
transported by rail in 1873 was one billion
TWEEN y three millions in Europe, as against
or hundred and sixty eight millions IN the
Unite i States. We remark a like dispro-
portion in the freight account. AT the
same period the whole number of freight
cars on the European lines was 936 COO
transporting upwards OF five hundred mil
lion tots of merchandise. while the Ameri
can returns show but @5 600 cars and a
movement of less than one hundred and
sixty eight million tone.
The gross receipts of EaroPeaa- railways
in 1865 were nearly five hundred million
dollars, and this income was almost exactly
doubled ten years acknowledgements
h.1
thirty four per cent, and freight business
with sixty two per cent of the whole reve-
nue.. At the same epoch Q975) the gross
earnings of railroads in the United States
were about five hundred million dollars. to
which total frei9h bit contributed seventy two
per cent. 1t is q curious fact that working
expenses have increased in Earope and
diminished in the United States during the
decade under review. Thus, in 1865 it cost
on an average forty y-six per cent to run a
European road, and ten years later nearly
fifty five per cent, while the amount sb-
sorbed by the came disbursements in this
country had dropped from 65 10 per cent
to So 10 per cent in 1875. If, from the
data previously cited, we dedact the run
ming expenses, we find the net earnings OF
the European roads in the last named year
were four hundred and fifty million dollars,
while American lines showed an aggregate
profit of one hundred and eighty five
millions. In other words. the revenue
available for interest on the capital EN-
ployed in construction was 3 10 per cent
for Europe.and a 10 for the United States.
On the other hand, in 1867, while European
lines earned very little more than at pres
ent, American railroads returned net
profit of Q 10 per cent. Even the railways
OF British India now earn 3 10 per cent,
or little less than our own roads /; whereas,
ten years ago, the ratio was nearly as one
to four. Finally, we may state that the
largest gross receipts furnished to the mile
of track in 1875 were 5000 600, credited to
Great Britain and Ireland, while the lowest,
$50, 900, are assigned to Norway. In pro-
portion to the extent of rail and capital.
the most considerable profits seem to have
been realized in France and Germany,
where they rose to more than five per cent.
On the other hand, net earnings touched
their minimum, namely 2 10 of one per
cent, on that Roumsnian net whose
bankruptcy ruined DR.. Strousberg. the
German railway king.