The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-29
JUGGLING FIGURES.
Directors Of Crosstown Lines
Claim to Be Losing Money.
This Is Given as an Excuse for Not
Providing Proper Facilities.
Number Of Cars Decreases as Patron
age Increases.

The cable roads of New York City
are not, by any means, the only ones
! which are reaping n rich harvest every
year from public patronage and which
are doing nothing In the way of i'm
proving their facilities for taking care
of an increased traffic.
Take. for example, the Central Cross
town Railroad Company, which OPP
crates the Christopher and Tenth street
railway. This road, in the last four
years, has more than doubled the num-
Der of Its passengers, the number car
| ried for the year ending June 80, 1893
having been l0,707 $50, according to it's
own statement.
Yet, In spite of this enormous growth
In the traffic, the Company was actually
running fewer cars last year than 1t did
In 1890.
In the last named year 1t had 1l3 cars
in operation, while in 1894 the number
was only "a. The gross receipts for this
year, according to the last annual re-
port of the Company, were $3.50, 3s6, while
| the operating expenses and taxes are
put down at s4O7,22 leaving a net in
come of sl32. 1852 as the profit on scarcely
hipaC t"O Vi iodhWuy'
1t is figured out that the surplus, after
paying interest, dividends and rentals
| amounted to little more than $4,000
while the statements for 1886 and 1885
| show that there was a deficit In both
of those years. 1t would be hard to
make any intelligent and observing
! citizen believe that this Company had
ever failed to make a handsome profit
In its business, but the statements OF
railroad companies are not infrequently
wonderful and mysterious affairs. BY
a little juggling they can be made to
show that the best paying property In
the world is on the verge of bankruptcy
II not already a complete wreck, and
vice-versa according to the within OF
its directors.
According to the statement Of the Dry
Dock, East Broadway and Battery Rail.
road, that Company is doing less bust
ness than 1t did eight years ago. Its
financial history shows some of the mos
remarkable ups and downs which are
not explained at all in the reports, yet
this line is supposed to be one of tht
most profitable street railroad proper
ties In the city.
For example, in 1885 this road ope-
rated 1856 cars, carried 1874, COL passen-
gers at five cents each, and yet Its
statement for that year. showed de-
felt Of 6l,95l The following year
there was a surplus Of ss4,728. after
In 1888 the equipment included only Isl
eards the nusm n, S Of passengers ear
surplus OF $l2a while the year pre-.
yions, although something like 100000
more passengers paid their fares than
| of $25,0t2. The managers of this Com
pany would. apparently find it to their
advantage to give up trying to run a
do the more they seem to lose, but nc
| one ever hears of them selling their
stock and getting out.
The overcrowding of the cars Of both
or these companies during the rush
hours Of morning. and evening Is noto-
rious, for the chief patrons of both lines
are working men and women who live
either In Brooklyn, or across the North
River in Jersey City and Hoboken, or
along the crowded thoroughfares of the
far east side. and who are Obliged to
from their places of employment