Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-02
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

The Annual Report OF the Commission
Made Public-Some Interesting Figures.
Special to the Register.
Washington, d. c., January 1.-The
annual report of the Interstate Com
merce Commission has been made pub
lie. The first section refers exclusive
ly to the necessity for legislation which
will make it possible for the commits
sion to secure the attendance of wit
nessss On Investigations and access to
books, this power having been denied
by the courts
In the second section, the work of
the commission for the year is review
ed generally.
The report includes statistics for rail-
ways for the year ending June 30, 1894.
There were IFS, ,70S.55 miles, an increase
for the year of 2,247.4S miles. There
were 1924 separate corporations, an in
crease Of a. OF these 945 maintained
operating accounts S05 were subsidiary
companies, 80 were private roads, and
rs We're not operated. The capitaliza-
tion Of roads filing reports was $40, 1885,
473,S13, or ,951 per mile. The num-
Der Of passengers carried was 540,6SS,-
1879, and the number of tons of freight
moved 63S ,1S6, ,553; a decrease from the
previous year. Gross earnings were
S1,073, ,361, ,797, a decrease of 1907 per
cent. Operating expenses were $731,-
414,322, a decrease Of 11.66 per cent.
Net earnings were $341 947,475. a de-
~ l.. 49,
year. Income from other sources was
$142,S16,S05, which added to net earn
ings, made the amount available for
fixed charges and dividends, $4S4, 1884,
2S0. Fixed charges were $429 .00S 80,
dividends, S95,515,226, and other pay
ments S6,092 ,03S; leaving a deficit from
the operations Of the year of S45,051,-
294 as compared with surplus of $8,-
111745 in the previous year. The
number of employees was 779, sos, a de-
crease Of 81, 1894. The number of en-
p-oyes killed was 1923; injured, 23,422,
a marked decrease The number of
passeners killed was 324, an increase Of
20, and the number injured was 3,034,
a decrease of 1875.
A preliminary income account for the
year ending June 80, 1895, including
the returns from ESQ roads, and cover
ing the operations of 1914 ,529.3S miles
OF line, is also included in the report.
The gross earnings of these roads for
this period were 81 ,003 ,022,S53 or So
096 per mile, decrease of $13 per mile,
operating expenses were $677, ,667 ,635,
or S4119 per mile, a decrease of $44
per mile, and net earrings were $685.
355,21S as compared with net earnings
OF $500 ,137 $50 for the same roads in
the previous year, an increase of S31
per mile Passenger receipts fell off SIT
per mile. while freight receipts show
a gain Of S149 per mile. Total net earn
ings and income. including income from
other sources, were S35S 412, 461. Fixed
chares and other deductions were $780,
351,9 ,946 and dividends were $50, ,135, ,545,
leaving a deficit from the operations of
the year of S31 ,075, O30. The amount of
dividends paid by the same roads in
the previous year was SCI ,504, 1855. Re
missness on the part of the railways in
fling their reports continues to cause
serious delay in the compilation of these
statistics.
The statement is made that the pro-
vision for the adoption of standard
he gh draw bars has been extended til
February Is, next, because the rail-
roads appear to be making an honest
effort to comply with the law.
For the year June 80, 1894, the num-
Der of employees for each employe killed
was 42S. as compared with 800 in the
previous year. The number of train
men employed for one killed was 1856 as
compared with 115 in the previous year
This is marked Improvement and is be-
safety equipment
The business Of ticket brokers and
scalpers is condemned as not being
legitimate.