The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-01
PANIES ARE NOT TELLING
THEIR BUSINESS,
WITH AN EXCEPTION OR TWO.
RESULTS OFF RAILROAD COMMITS
SION'S EFFORTS TO GET GER
TAIN INFORMATION
ASKED FOR BY THE STATE SENATE
approximate Figures of the Earn
tngs of the Express Companies
In Minnesota.

The railroad and warehouse commits
sion, yesterday, sent the following COM
munication to the senate in response
to the resolution passed by that body
some time ago asking for information
concerning the express and sleeping
car companies doing business in the
state of Minnesota:
Responding to the resolution adopt
ed by the senate on March 8, with ref
erence to the gross receipts of the ex-
press and sleeping car companies for
the transportation of merchandise,
products and persons over each of the
railroads in the state of Minnesota for
each of the years 1891 to 1896 inclusive,
and with reference to the terms of
contracts entered into by the said ex-
press and sleeping ear companies with
the several railroad companies in this
state, the railroad and warehouse COM
mission respectfully reports that on
the 18th of March it addressed and for
warded a circular letter to all the rail-
roads in the state.
Replies have been received from all
but the following roads: Minneapolis
& st. Louis, Wisconsin Central. Mime
sofa & Pacific, Minneapolis ST. Paul &
Sault Ste. Marie and Winona & West
ern Replies are expected within
few days from these roads.
1.-THE first question in the circular was:
What express and sleeping car COM
panfes are doing business over your
lines in this state?' Replies to this
question were all satisfactory
Second question: Will you furnish
US with copies of contracts entered into
between you and said cOmpanies?' In
this case contracts were furnished
wherever they existed.
Third question: Will you state the
amount Of the gross earnings of the
said express and sleeping car COM
panies for the years 1891 and 1896 in
elusive?
THE replies in this case were very
limited and imperfect; most of the
companies replying that they did not
know. The only exception was the
st. Paul Duluth, which made a full
and complete answer
Fourth question: If you are the
operators of your own sleeping GERS,
state what the earnings have been for
the years mentioned and also state
whether these earnings have been in
Guided in the gross earnings for taxa
ton purposes, and, if so, under what
head said gross earnings have been re-
ported?'
THE following roads stated that they
were operating their own sleeping cars:
St Paul & Duluth Great Northern
Eastern Minnesota and Chicago, Mil
waukee & St Paul
Circulars were also sent to all the
express and sleeping car companies do
ing business in the state. This circu-
lar contained the first three questions
that were embodied in the circular to
the railroads. The answers to the
first two were entirely satisfactory, but
the third remains practically I'M
answered
1.-THE Pullman Palace Car company
and the Wagner Palace Car company
have not replied to the circular, and in
the case Of the latter no reply is ex-
pected by the commission, and there is
no way that a reply can be obtained
1T appears from the contracts re-
ceived that the express companies are
paying the railroad companies, as COM
pensation, about 40 per cent of their
gross earnings. No information has as
yet ben obtained as to the gross earn
ingS Of the sleeping car companies
1.-The following is table of the total earn
fngs of the railway companies from the ex-
press companies: 1891, $418, 45177; 1892 $448-
631 As; 1893, 1888. 364.21: 1894 $4O7 1928 1896
SAG, 1884; 1896, SAT-, 599. "a.
Following are the earnings of the express
companies approximated on a basis of 60
per cent: 1881, 1927 677.65: 1892 $672, 947. Is:
1893, 1854, 046.31; 1894 SOIL 14S.49; 1895, $669
245.76; 1896, 1924 ga.
This would make the gross earnings OF. the
express companies as follows 1891 81, 646,
129 40 1892 $1121, 57S So 1899, 1919, HOSP; 1894
81 els 5S0.S2 1895, 81, 115 409.6O 1896, 81, OIL
499. 10.''