The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-06-20
ROADS LOST MONEY
1894 Will Not Be Forgotten in
Railway Circles.
RECEIVERS WERE PLENTIFUL
one.Fourth Of the capitalization in the
Hands of the Courts and Some
Has Been Abandoned.

washington, June 16.-The seventh
statistical report of the interstate COM
merce commission for the year ending
1une 30, 1894 has just been submitted.
In the Introduction special attention Is
called to the peculiar conditions affect
ing the operation Of railways during the
year.
The report covers the last four months
of the Columbia exposition. during
which time there was an increased
Messenger traffic. 1t also covers
period of widespread and unprecedented
business depression.
On June 80, 1894, 1872 roads, operating
upward of $4,000 miles of line and rep
resenting about one-fourth of the total
railway capitalization, were in the hands
of receivers. The total railway mileage
in the United States on June 30, 1894
was 17S,70S, an increase during the year
of 2,247 miles. The percentage of in
crease during 1894 was less than for any
preceding year for which reports have
been made to the commission. The num-
ber of roads abandoned were 16. The to-
tai mileage of all tracks was 1888
miles, The number of roads not in
operation was II.
The movement of consolidation dur
ing the year on the basis of mileage
involved has been the greatest in four
previous years. Fifteen roads, repre-
senting 1734 miles, were abandoned,
% roads reorganized and IA roads con-
solidated. Ninety roads operate 72,-
80 per cent. of the entire mileage.
On June 80, 1894. the total number of
80
cars reported was 1,27S,07S The total
number of railway employees June 30
1894, was 779, ,603, decrease as compar-
ed with the number on June 30, 1893
of 93,994, or 1875 per cent.
CAPITAL INVESTED.
The total amount of reported railway
capital of June 30, 1894 was SO, 1856 49,
Sl3, or $62,951 per mile of line. This is
an increase in the amount of outstand-
ing capital during the year of $29, 200, 000
The amount of capital stock was $4,S24,-
075,659, of which $4 103, 5S4 ,166 was COM
mon stock. The amount of stock pay
ing no dividend was $3,066, ,150,094 or
6S,43 per cent of the total amount. The
total amount of dividends was $685.
s76 or an average rate from the divi-
dend paying stock of 5,41 per cent.
TRAFFIC AND EXPENSES.
The number of passengers carried was
6l9,6SS, ,1S9, an increase over the previous
year of 26, 1877, ,5S7 and was occasioned by
the worlds fair travel. There was a
large decrease in freight traffic, the
number of tons carried being $685.
553, as against 765, ,110,4S2 in 1898. The
passenger revenue decreased $16142,
fxOx. fro offr1,f +,.o
fic decreased $129, ,562984. The amount
of operating expenses was 1871, Ala, 1922,
decrease of $96,506,977. The net earn
ings were $341, ,947, ATS, decrease of $780,
SS3,100, as compared with the previous
year. The income derived from sources
outside of operations was $142, sic, ,805.
The amount of fixed charges and other
deductions from income was $429, ,00S $40,
leaving net income of $55,755,970 avail
able for dividends and a decrease as
compared with the previous year of
nearly so per cent. The amount of divi-
dends paid was s95,795,976, a decrease
Of only s5,353, ,909 from the amount paid
the previous year.
The revenue derived from the carry
ing of passengers was 1885, sos and
the revenue derived from freight traf-
hc WAS SoJJ, 4JU,Jl3.
CASUALTIES.
During the year 1920 railway en-
ployes were killed and 23,442 were in
1ured, as compared with 2,727 killed and
Sl,l50 injured in 1893. This decrease In
the casualty list is partly due, the re-
port says, to the decrease in the num-
Der of men employed and the decrease
in the volume of business handled. The
Increase in the use of automatic appli-
ances on railway equipment also may
have rendered railway employment less
dangerous.
The number of passengers killed was
1874, an increase of 25, and the number
injured was $3.50, decrease of 1876. To
show the ratio of casualty it may be
stated that one employe was killed out
of every 42S in service, and one injured
out of every 33 employed.
In conclusion the report of the statis-
tician renews the recommendation In
the previous report in regard to the ad-
visibility of requiring full reports from
express companies. corporations and
other companies owning rolling stock
corporations, companies and persons
owning depot property, stock yards ano
elevators used by interstate carriers
and from carriers on waterways tha'
compete with railways for traff1c. Ref'
erence is also made to the question OF
requiring the railways to report freight