The age-herald., 1898-11-11
In Order That It Hay bs Submitted to
 the General Assembly.
MAIN POINTS OF THE ACCOUNT
Gross Earnings of the Various Lines for the Fiscal Year Amounted to $l5,44l S4.57-Mileage of
 Railroad Construction.

Montgomery, November l0-(Special)-in the report made by the railroad commits sioners of Alabama to the governor, show ing the business of the railroads for the the fiscal year ending June 30. 1898, the fol- lowing information appears in part. The re- port, which is now in the hands of the printers, is being rushed to completion in order that the same may be in the hands of the members of the general assembly at the very earliest date possible:
 Gross Earnings
 The gross earnings, including freight, passenger, express, mail etc.. for the year. amounted to sl5,441 ,4S4.57.
 Operating Expenses
 The operating expenses, which do not in- clude taxes, interest on bonded indebted ness and current liabilities accrued and not otherwise provided for, amounted to $ll,- 10s, ,OOO.61, being an increase of s1,Sil,2 ,22O.OS over the preceding year, which is Il per cent. of gross earnings, and shows an in- crease of per cent. in the proportion of operating expenses to gross earnings over the previous year.
 Passengers Carried and Passenger Revenue There was a decrease in the number of passengers carried, earning revenue or l147S1 over last year. The number pelns 2,7SO,959. The passenger revenue amounted to S2,S 462. .29. The average amount receiv- ed per passenger per mile was 259 cents.
 Freight Carried and Freight Revenue There was an increase of 2237,795 tons Of freight carried, earning revenue as com pared with the previous year. The total value being 17,501. .064 tons. The freight rev enue was $11,531 ,51S.19.
 Maintenance of Way and Structure There was expended in the maintenance
 
 than the previous year, the total peing S3 1885 ,s74.25. The following companiec were excused from reporting:
 Cahaba Coal Mining company, mics Escambia ddle), 27 miles; Rollins, Hefin and Sylacauga, % miles; Kymulga ana Coosa River 10 miles; Rutledge and Julian, 3h miles; the Jefferson Coal and Raiway' 7% miles, Tennessee Coal and Iron raii- way, 30 miles. Total 111%. The Cahaba Coal Mining companys raii- road is operated under joint lease to the Alabama Great Southern and the Birming- ham Mineral railroad companies. The re- maining roads are not common carrlers, but the property of private corporatiohs. engaged in mining and manufacture of lumber.
 Mileage
 The length of the lines of the several rail- road corporations making returns to this department is 3,560.16 miles of main line, and branches with 776 miles of double track, making a total of 3,561.S2 miles, Last year there were 3,524.27 miles of main line and branches with 7.76 miles of double track showing an increase of 35.89 miles of main line and branches reported over the year 1897.
 There Is a decrease from re-measurement or other causes of .49 of a mile, and .02 is reported by the Northern Alabama and 4 by the Southern railway.
 Trafn HJ;laape
 Passenger trains ran 17,790 miles, an increase of 5SS, ,S64 over 1897. Freight trains ran 7,446,439 miles, an increase of 6s5,046. The miscellaneous mileage increased 69,51 miles, and was reported at 3,8S9, 757 miles, making a total of 15,1O3,9S6, or on increase of 1,293, All miles over last year.
 Consultations
 The Memphis and Charleston Railroad company makes It's return for eight 1t was absorbed by and became part of the Southern railway system. Its operations from that time up to June 30, 1898, are in cluded in the report of the Southern rail- way.
 Construction
 There are thirty miles of new road re- ported for the year and with an additional f0S miles as below given less .49 of a mile from remeasurement and other causes, gives the 35 S9 miles difference in mileage as reported for this over last year.
 The companies constructing new mileage were the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City, from Mobile to the Mississippi state line, twenty-eight miles; the Nashville, Chatta- nooga and St. Louis railway, 999 miles on its middle Tennessee and Alabama divis- ion, as completed, but not yet in opera tion.
 The Seaboard Railway company of Ala bama reports seven miles as constructed, but in our mileage table is credited with only two miles of new road. This being the difference in the total mileage as re- turned over last year.
 The Birmingham and Atlantic reports 1.1S miles more this than last year; the Alabama Great Southern shows an in- crease of 5.90 miles, which is the length of the Gadsden and Attalla Union railroad, now being operated by it as a branch line, and heertofore given as not reporting.