The herald., 1894-10-20

are rather nonpulsed over the slump in
outward traffic. just &C present every
one seems to be heading for California
but lew are leaving. Yesterday the
Santa Fe overland had one additional
palace and one tourist car, indicating
that the influx OF winter visitors has be-
gun, but the bookings for the east are
exceedingly light.
ATcHIsoN, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE.
The directors of the company have i'm
timated that proxies for nearly 300, 600
shares have been received by the proxy
committee OF the board, to be voted At
the annual meeting on Tuesday next.
This amount does not include the so. 800
shares owned in Holland. which will
also be voted for the present board.
Heretofore the highest vote cast In any
election was about 700, 900.
Attention has more than once been
called to the fact that in the monthly
statements filed by the various railroad
corporations, as a rule decrease ID
shown in the earnings, while q steady
increase in the operating expenses 10
made manifest. The following tabulat-
ed statement, issued by the Atchlson.
Topeka and Santa Fe for the two months
CT July and August, shows up favorably
in this respect:
ATcHIsoN, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE SYSTEM
| PROPER.
| 1894 1898 Inc. or dec.
ings 49,. .S4 4,os4,649 S5. .559. .447 81, 474.7
expenses s.575.2es s6o7,slsd 122.45s
Net earns 5Os. 1856 81. .s6l. .72s S1.s52 342
ST. LOUIS AND SAN FRANCISCO.
inss 49,. 81. os7 oes 81, ,1l2,s75 s75,soe
Net earns 4e4.o52 447,sss is 1919
! AGGREGATED SYSTEM.
! Gross earn
ings 49,. .s5 ,s62, ,6s1 81. 391 .544 81 ,52s, $50
expenses 4,7ss,ss2 5.o2ss65 2ss.4ss
Net earn. 81 o7S, ,3O9 $2.3s2, ,e79 d 81, 2ss, $40
The ratio of return to capital in the
form OF dividends on the capital stock of
railroad companies has, as was recently
pointed out by writer in the Forum,
declined with great rapidity during the
last 20 years.
In 1871, with 44,6l4 miles of road. the
dividends averaged $1265 per mile; in
1882, with 107, 158 miles. dividends were
only 1862 per mile; while in 1898. with
l76. .46i miles, dividends declined to s572
per mile. Comparing the years 1883
and 1892, it is found that the mileage of
the latter year was 55 per cent greater
than that of the former. the grons earn
ings 45 per cent greater and the net
earnings 20 per cent greater, but the
aggregate aum disbureed in dividends
declined 20 per cent. The decline in
the average amount of dividends per
mile of road equaled 4S per cent of the
average of 1883.
TANK CARS FOR WINE.
Upon some of the European lines
tank car has been adopted for the trans
portation OF wine, cider and raisins. IL
is an ordinary four-whsel freight car,
but carries cylindrical tank, which has
an interior capacity of IL French tons.
At each end of the tank, says the Rail-
way Age, 10 q dome provided with q
proper cover and big enough to allow q
man to enter for repairs. There is also
a safety valve to permit the escape of
gas produced by fermentation. 1t 10
provided with cocks and tubes for filing
or emptydpg. The Australians have
whisky tank cara and they seem to be
we'll established, for the authorities in
charge of the spirit tax request the
transportation companies to provide
drawings for every such cae, showing
clearly the situation of the manhole and
the faucet.
NOTES.
Elmer E. Kelley, assistant ticket
agent at Philadelphia for the Philadel-
phia and Reading and Baltimore and
Ohio roads, is visiting in the city.
October disbursements on bonds of
railroads and other corporations. says
the Stakeholder, amount to $32, 2S3. .304,
against s34 470 625 in October, 1898; |;
$S3, l01. .125 in October, 1892; $32, 1852, ,643
in October, 1891; and $3l sos, ,S20 in Oc-
tober. 1890.
All the building companies in st.
Louis-the Laclede, the St. Louis, the
American. the Brownell and the St..
Charles--have combined. There will be
$5.000,0C0 OF bonds and $l5,0O0,0O0 Of
stock issued to represent the combined
properties.