The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-25
RAILWAY STATISTICS
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-
sTATE-coMMERCE COMMISSION.
Income and Expenditures OF $50
Roads In the United states-Equip-
ment, Employees, Casualties, Etc.

The Interstate-commerce Commission has
just issued a preliminary report on the in
come and expenditures Of railways In the
United States for the year ending June
30. 1895, prepared by the statistician. The
report includes the returns for $50 roads
whose reports were filed on or before Nov.
8. 1895, and covers the operations OF 1929
miles OF line, or 90 per cent. OF the total
mileage in the United States. The gross
earnings were 1,0OS, 022, $50. OF which $685.
ass. 1872 were from passenger service. $685.
OF, 9SS from freight service, and s26, 217 595
were other earnings from operation, cover
ing earnings from telegraph, car mileage
balances, switching charges, etc. The oper-
ating expenses were $677, 667, SIS. leaving net
earnings OF $325. 355, 21S, as compared with net
earnings OF 1920, 137.670 for the same roads in
1894. Reduced to a mileage basis, gross
earnings were se,0s6. operating expenses
were A,119, and net earnings were $1,977, or
a decrease in gross earnings OF $l3 per mile
as compared with 1894, and OF s1,094 per mile
as compared with 1893; a decrease in oper-
ating expenses of si per mile as compared
with 1894. and of S57 per mile as compared
with 1898. Net earnings show a gain over
1891 OF Sl per mile OF line. but q decrease
Passenger receipts fell off SIN per mile as
compared with 1894. while freight re-
mile. Passenger receipts were s3s6 per mile
less thar in 1898, and freight receipts show
a decrease as compared with that year of
800 per mile. These data are also shown
in groups, disclosing that the largest gain
In net earnings has been In groups /, Ill,
and TX.
Income from sources outside OF the opera
tons OF the roads were $50, 057, 243, making
the total income available for the payment
of fixed charges and dividends 1855, Az, 46i.
The total deductions from income, including
fixed charges. were $685., 35l .946. and divi-
dends paid were So, S5,545, leaving a deficit
from the operations OF the year of Sl,015,-
the preceding year were SCI, 5O4. 7S5. The
text OF the report contains a brief discus
sion OF the facts above presented. and is
followed by a table showing the earnings
and expenditures OF each road.
LOCOMOTIVES AND CARS.
Regarding equipment. the report says:
1.-THE total number Of locomotives on June
80. 1884,. was 35,492. being an increase OF 7O4
over the number in service the previous
year. The increase in locomotives OF 1898
over 1892 was 1852; OF 1892 over 1891 was 997;
of 1891 over 1890 was 1889. From this it
appears that there was a decided decrease
in the accustomed rate OF increase in To-
comotives during the last few years. The
total OF cars in the railway service on
June 90, 1894. was 1,27s,07S. 1t is. of course,
understood that this figure does not in
clude the cars or companies or private per-
sons furnishing railways with equipment.
The business Of furnishing rolling stock
to railroads or to shippers is a large and
continuously increasing business. but under
the law it is impossible for this office to
secure any official information respecting
II tbe T raslx Increase ssTy, in the the T ngmos sr Of 1sa cars svd in
those reported the previous year is Alp.
The corresponding Increase OF 1893 over 1882
was $50 The falling. of in the regular
increase in railway equipment is one of the
marked features of the present report and
may be accepted as one or the important
results of the business depression to which
the railway industry, in common with
other industries. was subjected. This de-
crease in equipment early attracted the at
spondence to ascertain the cause and nature
OF the decrease. In almost every instance
the correspondence showed that the rail-
way management made the slackness in
business the occasion for destroying a larg-
err number than usual of old cars and cars
OF inferior type. In some cases, while the
capacity and value of equipment had been
increased. One auditor writes that cars
which are now going out OF service in
large numbers are old cars OF twenty or
fifteen tons capacity and are being re-
placed by cars of thirty tons capacity
equipped with automatic couplers and air
brakes). so that while the number of cars
is largely decreased the tonnage capacity
and value of the equipment is increased
The decrease in traffic during the year
covered by the report is responsible for the
decrease in railway efficiency. The num-
Der OF passengers carried per passenger To-
connective shows a decrease of 6,557 In 1891
under 1893. From other statistics il is
known that passenger trains were taken
off and passenger mileage reduced. In the
case of passenger miles per passenger To-
connective there has been a decrease OF 22,971.
The most marked decrease, however, is OBJ
served in the case of tonnage, the num-
Der Of tons carried per freight locomotive
hainn < 11 1oGa In 1904 than In 1909 while
the ton miles per freight locomotive were
/ 75I AS less. The number of passenger cars
, crease of 2, as compared with the previous
year, but the number OF freight cars per
100000 tons of freight carried was 276
greater in 1894 than in 1885,
SAFETY APPLIANCES.
The report shows that. while the equip
ment in 1897. as compared with 1898. shows
an increase of 4,SS6, the increase in equip
ment furnished with train brakes during
the same period was 1895. while the in
| crease in equipment furnished with auto
matte couplers was 1888. The gain. there
fore, in equipment fitted with train brakes
during the year was g7.129. and the gain in
the equipment fitted with automatic coup
lers was 80, 81. When 1t is considered that
the total equipment on June 80. 1894, was
| 1913, $40, IL is easy to see that greater at
tention must be given to this matter in
the future than IN the past. IL the rail
ways purpose to comply with the law OF
March, 1898, which requires all equipment To
be fitted with train brakes and automatic
c~ouplers by January, 1898. By comparing
the advance made during the year covered
by this report with that of previous years
no decided tendency towaru compliance with
the law can be observed. The act referred
to also requires that all cars shall be pro-
vided with grab irons or hand-holds and
drawbars of a standard height by July J.
1885,
Continuing, the report says: This office
has never before been called upon TO report
a decrease In the number of railway EN-
ployes, but 1t appears that on June so, 1884,
there were In the employ of railways 49,
COS persons. as against s7S.602 persons in
1898. This shows a decrease OF $685.. 1t IL
necessary to go back 10 the year 1890, when
the number of railway employees was 49,
sol, to find a 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 economy on the
part OF the railways. a fact of interest in
employees pertains to the classes OF en-
ployes In which the reduction takes place,
There has been a decrease per one hundred
miles of line in employees assigned TO gems
eral administration of 1913 per cent? in
employees assigned to maintenance OF way
and structures of 1854 per cent; in en-
ployes assigned to maintenance OF equip
inent of 1850 per cent, and in employees
assigned TO conducting transportation OF
I'LL per cent. Referring 10 the averages
for the entire year. II appears That the
only class of employees which received conn.,
pensation I'm excess or So per day are en-
CINE men and conductors. General Office
received between 81 and s. per day; all
otbar emnIoyes were in receipt of q com,