Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-10
INrrn-srArn coaMrncn.
Decrense ia Net nrhmgz--Dividcnd
Paid Out OF Surplus

Washington, Dec. 9.--fhc nterAnte
commerce commission has Just Issued
preliminary report On the lucolnu and
expenditures OK railways Ia thu United
STATES Tor the year ending June 30
leei, prepared by " gtatlatician The
report contains tue Vturns OF $40 opar-
Atiis companies, whose reports MerD
hled on Or before November 20, 1884,
ana covers the operations OF ~, 1859 q
miles OF line, or abJut 50 per cent OF
me me Total operated tiileagq Ia thu United
The gross earnligs from the opera
ton Of the 1850. . mileH OF line repre-
nenied We're {9iD. 6tg.gi5. Of which $500. 3
la..ife We're nOm passenger service
Solt,s5S.iss was from freight service
ana ", f2O,sgS werc other earnings from
operation, coVorlnk receipts from tele-
graph, use OF carl switching charges,
etc The operating expenses We're s8i3,-
dzs'.gl. leaving nut earninga OF $685.
210.74i.
Reduced to mileage basis. the earn
lnRs from passenger service were Sg0G1
per mile OF line; from freight service
S4l32; total gross EARNINGS SG350: opef-
Atlns expenses Naez, and net earnings
s2Ols.
A comparison OF these items with
similar results from the complete re-
port OF the previous years shows
NNNffaFt per Ullle pt llne IN fNfHlnfN
from passenger service Of s53: In earn
ings from freight service OF s71i, IN To-
tai gross earnings Of $40; In operating
expenses of f5iI. and ia net earnings
of S268.
The number OF passengers carried
were bO5.2s5.iiG: passengers carried
one milo 1859 J9Gb7S Number OF tons
carried was 81 .a55, 94s. tons carried one
mile 70.s2G. PA .9g5 In order 10 ahow the
volume OF traffic for All the railways,
these figures should be Increased ~ or
10 per cent TO compare the density
or traffic with the previous year these
figures are reduced % mileage basis,
which shows the number OF passengers
carried one mile per mile ~ line to be
sG.25a. az compared with $500 In 1893
That there has been an Increase IN
passenger traffic regardless OF the com
merclal depression Is due 70 the unusn-
81 amount OF travel IN July. August,
September and october. 1893. on nc-
count OF the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position.
The number OF tons carried one mile
per mile o. line was i7o.egg, as compar-
ed with 5bi.232 FOR 1898. THESE figures
show the decrease IN volume OF freight
traffic occaaioned by the decentralization
OF business throughout the country.
The net earnings ayailabie for the
payment OF fixed charges ana dIvi.
1es.G0l for the same roads for the pre-
vious year decrease OF fs,555 sGg. n
Is probable that the decrease IN net
earnings OF all the railways will OK
coed 5o,Oo0O00 The dividends paid
were tG2, 4el. SOL. No compared with tgg-
ie4.i3Q for 1923 After the deduction Of
dividends Il Is found that ali of the
groups except group ana RrOup 10
show deficit instead Of n surplus from
the operation OF tho year. Tie ag,,rc-
gate amount ~ such deficit being fes
osg.62i. This fact shows that part o.
the dividends were either paid out OF
the accumulated surplus of last year.
or that their payment necessifstod an
Increase IN the current Indebtedness.
The report also rhnwB the average ~
ceipts per passenger per mile and the
average receipt per ton prr mile FOR
the year ending June ~. 1891. covering
the ruilfagc repreSfnfed Regardless ~
the increase IN traffic, there has been
a decline In rates during the year. the
average receipts FOR passengers being
per mile 1876 cents. ~ compared with
2.1os cents In 1898. ard The avcraRo re-
ceipfs per ton per mile .seG cents, as
compared with SIS cents IN 1873.