The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-17
They Have a Decided Effect
on the Business of the
Railroads.
A DECREASE IN CASUALTIES.
Caused in Part by the Wider Adop-
ton of Llfe-Saving AppIl-
anCeS.


First the report covers the last four
months of the Columbian Exposition, dur
ing which tine there was an increased
passenger trafic.
Second, it covers period of widespread
and unprecedented business depression.
Third, on June so, 1894, 1872 roads, ope-
rating upward of $4,000 miles OF line and
representing about one-fourth of the total
railway capitalization, were i'll the hands
of receivers
The effect of these conditions is apparent
in nearly al of the figures presented.
The total railway mileage in the United
States on June so, 1854, was 17S. 70S, an in
crease during the year Of 2247 miles. The
increase during the previous year was 1897.
The percentage of increase during 1894 was
less than fer any preceding year for which
reports have been made to the commission,
and 1t is not probable the year ending June
80, 1885, viii show much improvement.
The number of roads abandoned was six
teen. The total mileage of all tracks was
233, 533 mills.
The totat number of railway corporations
on June 81, 1894 was 1924, an increase
during theyear of twenty-five. The num-
Der of roacs not in operation was seventy
seven. The movement of consolidation
during the year on the basis of mileage
involved has been the greatest in four
years; fifteen roads, representing 1884
miles, have been merged; twenty-five
roads, representing 1852 miles, have been
reorganized, and fourteen roads, repre-
senting 1880 miles, have been consolidated.
A classification of railways on the basis
of operated mileage shows that forty-four
roads, each with a mileage of over 1000.
miles, operate 100,574 miles of line, or
$3.50 per cent of the total mileage of the
country. Ninety roads operated 1890 per
cent OF the entire mileage.
On June so, 1894, the total number of
locomotives was So, 1872, an increase during
the year of 704. The total number OF cars
reported was 1,27S,078. The increase in the
number of cars during the year was 4132,
as against an increase of Is, 864 during the
previous year. This falling off in the ratio
of increase is due to the fact that the rail
ways have during the year used a large
numbet of Old worn out cars.
During the year 1879 locomotives and
90, 1856 cars were fitted with train brakes
and 1897 locomotives and 81, 1856 cars were
fitted with automatic couplers- Seventy
four and eighty-one-hundredths per cent
of the total equipment is still without
train brakes and 7277 per cent without
automatic couplers.
The total number of railway employees
June 80. 1894, was 779,60S, a decrease as
compared with the number on June so,
1898, of 93, 994x or 10. rs per cent. This is a
smaller number employed than in any
year since 1890. This decrease is due, the
H. ro1l
traffic and the endeavor of the railways to
economic.
a new feature in this report is table
giving a comparative statement of the
average daily compensation of the various
classes of railway employees, for 1892, 1898
and 1894. The total amount of reported
railway capital of June 80, 1894, was
$40, 796, Ala, S13. or So, 951 per mile of line.
This is an increase in the amount of out
standing capital during the year of
$29, 200 600. The amount of capital stock
81, S24, O75, 65e- of which 50, 103, 5S4, 166 was
common stock. The funded debt was
So, 356, 5S3, ole. The amount of current
liabilities was $605, SIS, 135. The amount of
railway securities held by the railways as
an investment was 81 ,544,058, $40, decrease
during the year of SIS. 963, 563. The amount
of stock paying no dividend was $685.
150,094, or 63.43 per cent of the total
amount. The total amount of dividends
was $95, $50, 976. or an average rate on the
dividend paying stock of 5.41 per cent.
The amount of bonds paying no interest
was $3.50. 573, 7o9. The amount of miscella-
neous obligations paying no interest was
$53, 426, 264, and the amount of income
bonds paving no interest was $210, 757 ,554.
The number of passengers carried was
619, 6S8, 1S9, an increase over the previous
wear of rs, IL, 5S7 and was occasioned by
the Worlds Fair travel.
There was large decrease in freight
traffic. the humble of tons carried being
$50, 1876, 553, as against 745, 119. 4S2 in 1893.
The gross earnings of the railways for
the wear were 81 ,073, 1851, 1917, decrease as
compared with the previous year OF $147,-
SO,077 Passenger revenue decreased
SIG, Ia, 25s, and the revenue from freight
traffic decreased $129, 562, 948. The amount
of operating expenses was $731. ,322, a
decrease of .$96, SOC, 977. The largest per-
centage of decrease was in the operating ex-
penses, assigned, to maintenance OF way
and structures and to maintenance of
equipment, which show respectively de-
crease of 1912 and 17.72 per cent.
The net earnings were $341 ,947, AIS, de-
crease OF $50, $50, 100 as compared with the
previous year. The income derived from
sources outside of operations was $l42, &c.
sos. The amount of fixed charges and
other deductions from income was $685.
COS. $40, leaving net income of $50, 755,97O
available for dividends, and decrease as
compared with the previous year of nearly
80 per cent. Theiamount OF dividends paid
was sos, 795, 976, a decrease of only $685.
900 from the amount paid the previous
year. The fact that nearly the. normal
amount of dividends was paid, notwith-
standing the great decrease in income
available for them and the payment of the
amount stated, entailed deficit from the
operations of the year of $45,912,0 44 as
noted.
The revenue derived from the carrying
of passengers was $685., 349, 558, and the
revenue derived from freight traffic was
$685., ACC. 913.
During the year 1923 railway employees