Evening star., 1898-12-05
EARNINGS BELOW NORMAL
Railways Have Not Recovered From Slump
Of 1894
Compensation to Employees Less Than
Formerly Paid. but More Men
Are Employed.

special dispatch to the Philadelphia
Press from Harrisburg says: Under the
head Of Railways and Property" Com
missioner Brown. in his annual report, Will
give some interesting facts and figures, the
following being synopsis:
y comparison of the income of railways
reporting to this bureau. for the year end
Ing June 80. 1898. with the income of these
railways for previous years, appears to
:Jdicate improved conditions. This fact
suggests the query whether the railways of
:he country have recovered from the shock
IF the depressed and demOralized condi-
tions they suffered during the great indus
trial downfall commencing in the latter
part of the year 1s9;;.
As a general rule the prosperity or de-
preston of railway interests is barometer
which indicates the status of the business
interests Of the nation. 1t would seem also
that the income of tine railways would de
tcrmine the degree of prosperity in the COM
merciaI world. Some extended investga-
tiOnS have been made of the reports of the
great common carriers reporting to this
Office, with view of dsCertaining whether
tho railways are in a prosperous condition
IS existed prior to the year 1854: and if
they are not in so prosperous a condition,
whether their condition represents, in fact,
the general business status of the country.
tons which have been selected with a view
Of making COmpar risons as To receipts. slip
ments and other matters Of interest. during
the six years commencing June 80 1892
and ending June 30. 1S!Js. 1t Will be II mem
hered that the year ending June "a lSg3
wSs one of the most prosperous years both
TO the railways and to the business inter-
ests of the country. that had Deen enjoyed
LOT decades.
The seven railway corporations referred
70 are the Buffalo, Rochester * PittSbucg,
the Erie railroad, the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern. the Northern Central
the Pennsylvania. the Philadelphia, Viii
mington and Baltimore and the Pittsburg
Cincinnati. Chicago and St. Louis.
4 Decrease in Receipts.
The total inccrae from operations of thes.
railroads for the year ending June 80 1S9a
as appears by a specially prepared tabuIa-
tion. was $15o,331, 20. The great change
which took place from June 30 1893. to the
close Of the fiscal year ending June 80 1874
is Indicated in the receipts from operations
Tor lhdt year. when The amount was S1.IS-
2lS.lJ3- For the following year endino
June ~. lS!'J. there was a slight advance
III receipts, for in that year these compa-
mes received from operations S1401t5t1S
or tn year ending June ~. 1896 they re-
ceived $llS +j2. 1G'I. For the wear ending
June 50 1897, $l4I614252 and for the last
year OF tire period named. ending June 50
1SlS. $1-5. Al ti44
II will be seen. therefore that for the
year ending June ~. 1S.S the rereipts from,
operations Of these c0rporatioDs were nearly
S'-HNc" less than Cor the year ending
june 20. lS.B. These receipts from opera-
tions include not only the receipts from
freight traffic. but also from PASSENGER
traffic
1t is Of interest to make similar compare
sons OF receipts of these roads year by
year. during the period named, limiting the
same entirely to freight traffic For the
year ending june -. 1888. these roads re-
csiNed Slll.1I1.3T4 from freight alone: for
III" wear ending June -. 1871 g1.G49 SIS
Here i discovered the wonderful change
MEN TOOK place in the financial affairs nf
the railways III a single year. For the wear
eDItus june -. 1N.'j. the receipts from the
sam" source Were $.t1 ,2,;-,H H1l: for the wear
ending June 81. 1896 S1G2 S1I 7u7: for the
Year ending June 81. 1SH7. SEA -pti. .Gfi1 ard
for TIE year ending June 80. l>.,s SfU9 g74-
So
The business OF these companies and the
changes which took place during the period
named are fcrcihy represented in the
amount Of compensation paid to employees
II the year ending June -. 1S.ti these
seven companies paid as cOmpensa ton to
their employees S1u - ttsl. for the year
ending June ~. 1921. S.. .2t2 SI2
The great reduction in COMPENSATION paid
10 employees indicates that there was not
only severe shock To railway interests
in the changed conditions. but that labor
'rs- too, suffered perhaps to a greater de
gree than did the railway security holders
For the year ending June %n. 1895. the
amount OF compensation paid was S.I9.72S-
~, for the year ending June ~. 1896, $tiG.-
&S2N~i- For the year ending June 20 1884.
81 $50. and for the year ending June
~. 1895. SIS !;'t. .-jS.
Increase in Employees.
Again the result of the change in our
industrial condition as affecting the rail-
roads is shown in the number of employees
Of these seven roads. For the year ending
June - 1893. there were 11J,.N employees
For the year ending June 81. 1884. IOn.:;17
employees, for the year ending June 81, 1885
loci,+jz. Tor the year ending June 30 1856
lULIfS. for the year ending June -. 1881
Sill l5@, tor the year ending June 80, 1S3S
1lG6Ss
1t appears from these figures that the re-
ceipts from operations We're several millions
Of dollars less for the year covered by
this report than they were for the year
ending June 81. 1888. 1t appears also that
these several railroad companies paid about
S2vhODu less for compensation TO their en-
ployeS for the year covered by this report
than they did for the year ending June 80
1893. and that while there We're just a few
more men employed on the railroads dur
ing the year covered by this report than
there were I'm 1Sl3. yet they received scme
S2SJ.rpD less in the way Of compensation
II appears from these figures that the
most abrupt change took place during the
years iS,t; and 1874. The Improvement has
been less marked. and the receipts from
operations, including both passenger and
freight traffic. are still far behind what
they Were before the crash came IN the
latter part Of the year 1S,3.