The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-06
FACTS ABOUT RAILROADS.
Interesting Statistics Cleaned from tho
Last Annual Report of tho 1ntc rstatc
Commerce Commission.

On June 30, 1891. there We're 1892 railways
In the hands o receivers, of which 126 had
been consigned to receiverships during The
previous twelve months, and 50 during the
year ended June go 1893. The mileage Of
line operated by these defaulting compa-
MES was 40,SlSSl miles. The total cauital-
lzation of roads in the hands of receivers
was about 81, 500, 100000. that Is to say, one
fourth of the total railway capitalization
OF the country. This, as a record of in
solvency. Is without parallel In the pre-
vious history of American railways, ex-
cept IT. be in the period from 1898 to 1912.
1t Is undoubtedly result Of the general
business depression. &C.. .4,.
he railway mileage OF the United States
on June 30. 1891, was us, 70s.55 miles. which
shows an increase over the previous year
Of 2,2i7.4S miles. This Is an increase OF
1:T per cent. in railway mileage during
the year. The corresponding increase for
the year ending June 30. 1898, was 2.s0 per
cent; for 1892 1t was 1.SS per cent; for 1891
1t was 2.N per cent; for 1890 1t was 4.7S per
cent; for 1889 1t was S.22 per cent; for 1858
sos per cent. From this 1t. appears that
the percentage Of increase In railway ex-
tension during the year covered by the
report is less than for any previous year,
and the current record Of railway con-
struction does not warrant the hope that
the next report. that is to say. for the
year ended June 30, 1895, will show any
material Improvement.
Developing Old. Not New, Lines.
The aggregate length of all tracks on
June 3O 1894, was 233, 53367 miles, which, In
addition to single track mileage, includes
of third track. 7lO.99 miles of fourth track,
and 42,661.6 miles Of yard track and sid
ings. The percentage of Increase in single
track mileage during the year was 1.27
per cent; that second track mileage was
4.46 per cent; of third track, i.40 per cent;
Of ourth track, 6.36 per cent, and Of yard
track and sidings, 1,47 per cent. This
seems to indicate that Of the capital in
ested In the extension of railway facilities
during the year. a relatively greater am
cunt has been assigned to the develop
ment Of existing property for an assured
traffic than to an extension Of property
for the creation Of new traffic.
The total number of locomotives on
June 3O 1894, was 30, 492 being an increase
of 7O4 over the number in service the pre-
vious year. The increase in locomotives
Of 1893 over 1892 was l,652; of 1892 over 1891
was 997; of 1891 over 1890 was 1899 From
this 1t apepars that there was a decided
decrease In the accustomed rate of in
crease In locomotives during the last few
years. The total number. OF oars In the
railway service on June 30 1884, was L.
27S,WS. tits, OF course, understood that
this figure does not include thee cars Of
companies or private persons furnishing
railways with equipment. The business OF
furnishing rolling stock to railroads or to
shippers Is a large and continuously In
creasing business, but 1t is impossible to
It. The increase in the number Of cars In
the railway serice on June 30 1894, over
those reported the previous year is 4132.
The corresponding increase OF 1893 over
1899 was 5s,s54. The falling off In the regu-
lar increase In railway equipment Is one
of the marked features of the report, and
may be accepted as one Of the important
results of the business depression to which
the railway Industry. In common with
Democratic administration.
Other DC ccrcnscs Shown
The number of passengers carried per
passenger locomotive shows O decrease Of
6557 in 1894 under 1893 From other sta
tistlcs 1t is known that passenger trains
were taken off and passenger mileage re-
passenger LOCOMOTIVES there has been a de-
crease of 22,971. The most marked de-
crease, however, Is observed in the case
Of tonnage. in the number Of tons carried
per freight locomotive being 6,l0l less in
1891 than in 1893, while the, ton miles per
freight locomotive were 757, 4ls less. The
number of passenger cars per 100000 pas
sengers carried shows a decrease of 2 as
compared with the previous year. but the
of reight cars per 100000 tons of
freight carried was 276 greater In 1894 than
in 1893.
The report concludes "This office has
neer beore been called upon TO report
decrease In the number of railway en-
ployes, but II appears that on June 20,
1894, there were in the employ Of railways
779 60s persons, as against S73.602 persons
in 1893 This shows n decrease of 90, ,99i.
II Is nece ssary to go back to the yvear
1890. when the number Of railway employees
was 7i9, ,301, to find pay roll as limited as
that Of 1894 This reduction Is, Of course.
one Of the results. Of business depression
and Of the consequent necessity Of econ
omy on the part Of the railways" In
other words, II Is one of the consequences
Of Democratic misrule. The decrease In
the number of employees, as already stated,
was o., 3,s9i. The usual aerage Of s persons
to the wage Garner Is doubtless too high
for railway employees. II 4 persons to the
wage Garner be accepted. 1t shows that the
OF persons depried Of their regular
income on account Of the depression in
the transportation busines during the year
ending June 30, 1894. was 375 978."
A final fact of interest in Connection with
the reduction of railway employees per-
tains to the classes Of employees In which
the reduction takes place. There has been
a decrease per. 100 miles OF line in en-
ployes assigned to general administration
Of l4.29 per cent Tin employees assigned to
OF way and structures of
1854 per cent: In employees assigned to
OF equipment OF 1880 per
cent: and in employees assigned to con-
Quoting transportation of I'LL per cent.
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