The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-01-08
.NU'IM,BiER2.'



The New York Financial Chronicle has
analysed tho fourth bulletin OF the census
office on railway statistics In a way that
reveals somc noteworthy features. Tho
bulletin relates to tho operations OF rail.
ways in the four southern states of Vir-
ginia, West Virgins, North Carolina and
South Carolina, the figures covering the
year 1880.
The first matter to attract attention
concerns the decline in freight rates
IL actually appears that the average
per ton per mile was lower in tho four
southern states than In tho middle states,
ana only slightly above tho average OF
the middle western states. In both tho
latter two sections the cond 'tions aro
suoh as TO enforce low rates. The traffic
IN coal, ore, and other bulky and low.
class freights, which will not bear high
transportation charges, is very large in
tnose sections, and ut the Same timo tho
through freight between tho west and
the scaboard, which likewise has TO be
carried Mt low average rates, forms
quite considerable item in tho traffic of
tho lines.
The fact that tho average for the mid.
ilo states figures out somewhat HIGHER
than for the middle western, both being
iubJect to much tho same conditions. il
doubtless swing to the existence of lar-
ger ccntcrs OF population in tho middle
states, thus giving the lines In those
states proportionatcly greater amounts of
general merchandise traffic yielding bet.
ter rates.
That any group Of southern states
should show averages on tho same level
with those Of the two sections mentioned
which by reason of density of traffic aud
,hc prcpondcrancc Of tho lower class of
height possess special advantages In that
ESSRssln " WORTH hrrRsiHbA Rdf5 tsns passns
n'ticc. The census investigation makes
;hc average for the four southern states
'nly little over three quarters Of cent
per ton per mlc-in exact figures 78G
'housandths Of ccnt-while for tho
middle states the average is given as sos
thousandths, and for the middle western
6Si thousandths.
In tho New England states where thcro
Is an absence Of the bulky frcights, tho
average per ton per mile is rs much Is
I,i'O thousnndths. The change
since 1880 has been remarkable. At that
time tho average for the four southern
states was 1850 cents, while that for tho
middle states was 1, 044 cents, and for
tho middle western states 0.sO2 cent,
that is, the average then was 40 per cent.
higher than for the middle states and
over GO per cent. higher than for tho
middle western states whereas now il is
lower than the one and but little higher
than tho other.
Tho Chronicle thinks it worth potina.
tttsarR9 iasrcgnrustus pxsscupc - yfe1sln ~ =.
Jpt tsssp ahe. roads IN .tbs "a
hand, they transported nearly nine and .
half million passengers. The passenger
movement one mile in the same interval
rose from 104, ,O00.O00 to $3.50, ,0cO, 600.
In the one instance tho ratio Of growth is
2G1 per cent and in the other 22G per
cent This is decidedly heavier than
the increase in tho other two sections.
la the middle states the number of pas
scnscrs increased only 131 per cent, and
the passengers one mile 90 per cent,
while i'm the middle western states tho
percentages were no more than 90 and
73 respectively.
The rates on the passenger business,
like those on freight, have during the de-.
cadc approached much closer to tho aver
ages for the other sections than before.
In 1890, while the average for the mid
die, the middle western and the Now
England States were respectively 2.22,
2.1G7 and 2.1SS cents per mile, lad
average for the four southern states was
over :hrce cents (3 02D. For 1889,
however, with the averages for the mid.
die states 1895 cents, for the middle
western 2O9O cents and for the New
England states / 1.020 cents, that of tho
| four southern states was not SO very much
higher, being 2,207 cents. - Atlanta Con-
slitution