The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-03
STARTLING FIGURES
Made by the Interstate Com
merce Commissioners.
THE SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
Number of Employees 444 to Each
100 Miles of Recommen-
dations Made.

The Chicago Tribune anaiyzes the last
report of the Interstate commerce COM
mission as follows:
The Interstate commerce commission
has issued its seventh annual report on
the statistics of railways in the United
States, thcs being for. the year ending
with June, 1894. At the close of that
year the total mileage was 17S,T08 miles,
being am increase Of 2,247 miles during the.
year. The L27 percentage of increase
was less than that for any previous year.
OF course this fact was due to the panic,
the depressing effects of which were 9TH
erwise shown by the fact that OF the
1872 railroads In the hands of receivers,
126 were placed there during the year.
These 1872 roads have a total of 40,S19 indies
of time, and a Capitalization of $500 mil
lion dollars, or one fourtth of the total
railway capitalization of the country.
At the date of the report all the lines
in the United States had In service a total
of 5,492 locomotives and 1.27S07S cars, of
which 1,2O5,169 were in freight service.
Each freight locomotive was credited with
4,Ol6,755 tons CARRIED one nKe on the aver
age, and each passenger locomotive with
1,444, 400 passengers carried one mile. To-
tad passengers carried 5lO6SS,190 and
employees was 779,6OS, being 44 to each
100 miles of dine, against S73,GOa persons
with an average of 5l5 per 100 miles OF
Vine the previous year, But the reiuctoin
was the greatest on those lines which
had received the largest stimulus from
the Worlds Fair business, and the cheap
er mechanics and the apprentices having
suffered more than The more highly slxin-
ed employees. The saving In the pay-rolls
neceaSitated by the depression following
the panic was achieved by q reduction
in the number of employees rather than
a reduction in wages.
The total stock capitalization of the
lines wals 1884 million dollars, of waffcfr
4,103 miLcfon was common stock" which
Is mostly 'twater." The funded debts
aggregated 5,956 millions, this including
1884 millions of bonds. This amounted
to 40 2-S per cent OF the entire capltaliza-
tion, or $31 ,22S to the average mile of line
The total capital of bonds and stock was
1926 millions, of $62.951 per mile of line
The stock on which no dividends we're
paid in the year ending with June, 1894,
was 63.43 per cent of the tottal stock,
against 6l,43 the previous year, kyi,l co..
per cent In 1890-'91 No interest waa4hidl
oil II IA per cent 1T the entire fAIided
debt.
The gross income from the operations
of the year was 1878 Millions leaving 342
millions after paying operating expenses.
The latter sum showed q decrease OF 81
millions from THE previous year, while the
decrease In gross earnings WAS lieary
s. 3-4 millions, of just about half THAT OF
the previous year. and the railroads paid
out in dividends and other payments
from net income 10lh TnIClons, incurring
am add1ulonar indebtedness OF nearly 40
millions for the purpose OF maintaining
the money value OF tire stock through the
payment of dividends. There was a
mantped decrease In the number OF injuries
and fatal casualties ITO employees as well
as passengers.
The report repeats tho Recommendations
previously made In the hope of rendering
the statistics more complete and more
useful. There are, in substance, that the
following parties shal be required to
make to the commissioners reports SIM
liar to those now required from rail car
rIers: Express companies engaged in In
terstate traffic, owners of rotIing stock
used In Interstate commerce, and owners
of depot property, stock yards, elevators,
etc. used by Interstate carrlers and car
rlen5 by water, alt 1eaclt so far as the
business of the latter Influences In any
important degree HIhe Interstate traffc
CARRIED on by the railways Of the country.
1t also Is considered desirable that the
carriers be called upon to make stal'e-
ments OF freight earnings by freight
classes.