Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-13

The Vermont State railroad commits
sioners, Samuel E. Pingree, AmOry DaV-
ison and Leon g. Bagley, have submit
ted their biennial report to the Legisla-
ture. The report is an exhaustive one,
giving the history of all railroads oper-
ating in the State, testimony of the hear
ings, the railroad laws, accidents, etc.
An abstract of the report follows:
For the year from June Both, 1893 to
Jnne Both, 1894, an unprecedented change
has come upon their business affairs,
bringing upon them period of general
depression heretofore for many years UNI
known.
A great falling off in both freight and
passenger traffic, with corresponding
decrease 0f gross receipts, has demanded
and justified, as matter Of business
necessity, a limited cuTtailment of ex-
penses which the general public has APP
peared to understand and recOgnize-a
fact that indicates more mutual rela-
ton between the people and the roads.
The total number of railroad accidents
in the State, coming to the knowledge of
the board in the last two biennial peri
DDS, from all sources, was 25S, and the
number which involved loss of life or in
jury to the person was 1877 in 1890 ~, and
ia in the last biennial term, as follows:
1890 90 1892 81
Fatal accidents ..........,..... 63 sc
Accidents not fatal ....... ......... 20 So
Total. ....,...........-. ~ ITO
OF the persons killed s were passen-
gers, Ga employees and 81 other persons.
OF the injured - were passengers, 1903
employees and 81 other persons.
From the returns Of the railway sys-
tenn and the companies making their sep
arate returns, as made to the board, the
total mileage of main line track and
branches in this State, at date of June
30th, 1894, is found to be 0S1 Sc miles, in
Guiding - % miles of double track, and
the mileage of sidings and spur track is
2i9 sos miles, showing an increase in
the mileage of sidings and spur track of
90 1876 miles in the last biennial period,
with no increase of main line.
From carefully prepared returns it ap.
pears that the average cost of road per
mile is $50, 5S6.2S; the average cost of
road and equipment is S3S, O46 81 per
road mile, and that the average indebt-
edness of road per mile is S35, 547. IS.
| The amount of capital stock of the
roads reporting is S45, 1877, 1923 10; amount
of outstanding bonds, 1876, 800; and
the amount of current liabilities is 81,
S65, 22I.35,
OF the 9S1. sc miles of main line steam
railroad In this S ate, all but 81. 80 miles
is of the standard guage, feet 81 inches.
The total number of passengers car
ried upon all the railroads wholly or
partly within the State for the year 1892
was II, S3S, 800, and for the year 1893, 15,-
96l, S73.
The total passenger revenue for 1892
was So, 939, 232, "a, and the same for the
year 1898 was 1929, 59027.
The average receipts per passenger per
mile for the year 1892 was SO02742 and
the same for the year 1893 was $0.02776.
The average estimated cost of carry
ing each passenger per mile for 1892 was
S002205 and for 1898 the same average
was S0.O22O3.
The number of tons of freight trans
ported by all the railroads within or OPP
Grating partly within and partly outside
the State, for the years 1892 and 1893, is
found from the returns to be as follows
The number of tons of freight carried
in 1892 is 1874 ,947, and for 1898 is 49,
756,9S7
The total freight revenue for same is
for 1902, S12,07S, 472.57 and for 1898, Sl3,-
203, 50l.21.
The average receipts per ton per mile
of haul is for the year 1892, 3.046 cents,
and for 1898 is 3.2457 cents, while the
average estimated cost for carrying the
same per ton per mile for 1892 is 2.742
conts, and for 1893 is 2.40O4 cents.
The average wages paid in 1S92-1S9G
were as follows: General office clerks
$1.94; station agents, SLAB; other station
men, S1.3S; engineers, $2.73; firemen
$1.64; conductors, 1927; other trainmen
S1.53; machinists, $2.07; carpenters and
bridgeman, $1.S3; other shopmen, S1.56i