The record-union., 1898-04-03

nue. for transportation of all classes OF
freight per ton per mile was .. 43 in 1871,
but in 1895 the average was 1.23 cents.
The same report shows that in Illinois
the passenger rates were in 1871 from
3.12 TO cents, averaging for all roads
about 4 % cents, but in 1895 the average
for all roads was 226 cents per mile.
1t is noted that the volume of passenger
traffic in 1871 was about one-third of
that in the year 1895, while the aver
age distance hauled was in the latter
year 90 per cent. greater.
Thus we have the operation of rlile
that with the increase of the volume of
business though the haul may be longer
the rate declines. Between 1871 AMI
1893 the report shows that there was
reduction ms price of nine agricultural
staples of II per cent, and in the same
period the advance of wages in 543 oc-
cupations was 144 Der cent.
Mr.. Bryce in his review of similar
statistics set out in 1897 proves that the
improvement in railway service enabled
the people to move food, fabrics, fibers
and fuel. one-third cheaper, so that a
charge OF S3141 per head had been re-
duced to $10.47. He quoted the mathe-
matical proofs from Statistician Atkin-
son in support, showing that the reduc
tions in charges for service have kept
pace with the fall in prices of agricuI-
tural products. Thus between 1878 and
1897, says Mr.. Atkinson, the figures
show that the general ton rate fell
nearly 60 per cent, the fall on provisions
alone being fully so per cent.
The charge per ton per mile on 13
of the most important roads fell from
| 3.0S to 0.S3 between 1860 and 1885 and
was 0.72 in 1895. These 13 roads per-
formed over orse-third of all the SER
vice rendered. In August, 1896, the
Railway Age" gathered the facts ami
published them. showing that on -four
great railways representing the eastern,
centralwestern southwestern and
western territory, the decline in rates
was rapid and steady from 1870 to the
date Of publication. Thus on the South
ern Pacific the decline between 1879
and 1895 was from $50 to 1.26. On the
Santa Fe system it was shown to the
Legislature of Kansas in 1897 that the
average freight rates fell from 2.2SS IN
1882 to 102S cents per ton per mile in
1896. or a decrease of .55.07 per cent.
Had the Southern Pacific companies
received in 1896 the rates received in
1891, the earnings would have been
greater by $14,074, ,S25. If the COM
panies had received the rate of 1888
the earnings would have been in 1896
S26,31S,S 500 greater. 1t was proved be-
fore the Senate of Illinois in 1897. that
railroad rates have declined in greater
proportion than prices in any thing
else, and so too have railroad dividends
| decreased. At that time it was shown
as an example among many others
that whereas in 1884 the rate from
Council Bluffs or Omaha to San Fran
cisco was 800, in 1897 it was $50. At
that time the rate from Council Bluffs
or Omaha to San Francisco was S37 so
higher than from San Francisco to Chi
cago in 1897. In 1884 between Chica-
go and Kansas City, for example, was
$21, whereas in 1897 it had fallen to
So so.
The Commissioner of the Joint Traf-
| fic Association last year published an
article in the New York Mail and
Express showing by the figures that
in 1873 the freight rates upon 20, 0,26S
miles of railway then built averaged
2.21 cents per ton per mile for 16S, ,000,-
600 tons carried. In 1895 the rate
averaged 0.S39 of l cent for 763, 800, 900
tons carried upon 179, ,162 miles of rail-
way, producing gross freight revenues
| of $743, 7S4, ,451, the rate for 1873 being
over z63 per cent. of the rate in 1895.
At the average rate charged in 1873,
the freight earnings in 1895 only would
have been S1,215.3 900 more than
they were, over eighty millions more
than the entire Indebtedness of the
States and Territories in 1890.
superintendent of the United
States Census Robert Porter, in an ar
ticle by him in the New York Sun
in January of last year said:
1t is said that if the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company could secure the
same rates as the London and North
western Company, the annual earnings
would be increased 1000, 900. George
r. Blanchard, in his recent testimony
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mittee Of the Senate, said that had our
railways collected the lowest of the
European charges, we would have re-
cefved S370000,000 more than we did
receive. This calculation was based on
| the figures of 1892. The figures Of 1896,
which are lower for the United States,
would make a great difference.
| According to the testimony of Aldace
state Commerce Commission "the aver
age charges for railway service are now
about one-half. the rates charged twen-
ty years ago" Mr.. Porter, already re-
| ferred to. in a later article in the New
York Commercial Advertiser" pointed
out that freight and passenger rates in
| the United States are less than those
charged in European countries, where
labor costs only about half the wages
paid in the United States.
| Frank Weldon in the Atlanta Con
stitution'' in April, 1897, arrived at the
| conclusion from the statistics that:
All the railroads in the United
States, that is, as a whole, have been
getting less and less every year for six