The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-14
WAGES MORE THAN HALF OF THE
COST OF RAILWAY OPER-
ALTON.
REPORT OF COMMISSION.
TOTAL MILEAGE OF THE UNITED
STATES NEARING A DOUBLE
CENTURY.
Equal to Nearly 100000 Per Mile
Death Roll of Two Thou
sand.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13.-The ninth
merce commission, for the year ending
June 30, 1896, gives interesting infor-
nation concerning the mileage, equip
ment. number of employees, capitaliza-
tion and valuation, accidents and earn
ings and expenses of railways in the
United States for the year named.
One hundred and ffty-one roads,
representing 80, Ats miles of operated
mileage, were in the hands of receivers
on June 80, 1895, a decrease of eighteen
from the previous year.
The capital stock represented by the
railways controlled by receivers was
s742, ,597. .69S, and the funded debt was
$999, 733, 1866
The total railway mileage on June
80, 1896, was 1927 an increase of 2,119
for the year, Georgia showing the
largest increase, viz, 233 miles.
The number of locomotives in service
was $780, and of cars of all classes
1, ,297, ,649, an increase of Psi locomotives
and 27,0SS cars.
Of the total cars and locomotives
and '545,583 with automatic couplers.
The number of freight locomotives fit
ted with automatic couplers was 1878
out of total of 20,351 and the cars in
freight service fitted with train brakes
was 379,05S out of total of 1,221, 1887.
An interesting feature of the report
is a summary showing the amount Of
compensation paid to the railway en-
ployes of the United States, who as
gregated S26620. Their aggregate COM
pensation amounted to over so per cent
Of the total operating expenses of all
railways, a slight decrease from the
preceding year.
Much data on the capitalization and
valuation of railroad property is con-
tanned in the report. The amount of
railway capital, it is shown, was $1O,-
566, ,S65, I'll, which assigned on mile
age basis shows a capital of S59,6l0 per
mile of line and if current liabilities be
included as part of the capital $63,06S
per mile of line.
The amount of capital stock was $5,-
226, ,527, 1863, of which 1863 1856, ,692 was pre-
ferred A fraction Of over 70 per cent
of the capital stock paid no dividends
The total dividends amounted to $751;
COZ, 81.
Passengers carried during the year
numbered 511, IT, 737, an increase of
over 100000 compared with the pre-
vious year, which, however, showed a
decrease of 1865 837 as compared with
1894.
Freight tonnage amounted to 765, 791,-
3S5, the largest ever reported for rail-
ways in this country, and an increase
of nearly 70,000000.
Gross earnings amounted to $1,150,
1863, ,376, an increase of nearly 100000
resulting in net income of over $685.
100000 larger than the previous year.
Nearly 1900 employees were killed and
almost 10000 injured during the year,
an increase of fifty in those killed, and
over 1900 in the number injured One
hundred and eighty-one passengers
were killed and nearly 5000 injured
The number of persons ''other than en-
ployes and passengers" killed was 4,4O6
and those injured 5,845. These figures
include casualties to persons reported
as trespassers. For every 444 men en-
played on railways, one was killed, and
for every % men employed one was
injured One trainman was killed for
each 152 trainmen employed, and one
trainman was injured for each 10 men
employed. The number of passengers
carried for one passenger killed was
2S27, ,474; the number of passengers car
ried for one passenger injured was 178,
1872