The evening times., 1899-12-02
THE RAILROADS OF JAPAN.
A Substantial increase In Mileage
During the Year.

During the Year.
Consul General Convey sends the State
Department from Yokohama, October 9
1899. clipping. from the Japan Times.
giving q resume of the last annual report
OF the imperial Japanese railway bureau
as follows:
THE annual report OF the imperial rail-
way bureau for the fiscal year ended
March 81. 1899. just published shows that
the progress of railway work and busi-
ness during the period reviewed was. on
the whole. eminently satisfactory. The
addition which was made during the year
to the mileage of the lines open for traffic
was All miles and 60 chains, which
shows an increase Of 80 miles over the
record OF the preceding period. The en-
tire mileage on state and private lines
open for traffic at the end of the year
under review was S.42O miles and so
chains. and adding thereto the lines under
construction and those for which charter
had been given. the total stood at the re-
spectacle figure of $50 miles.
THE total rolling stock of the state
and private lines at the end OF the year
under review comprised LOB locomotive
engines, 3,s11 passenger cars. and 14,0Ss
freight cars. Compared with the corre-
spending date of the previous year, there
was an increase of 2os locomotive engines,
oil passenger cars. and 1858 freight cars.
As TO the ratio of the rolling stock to the
open mileage, there were for every 100
miles 32 locomotive engines and 112 pas
senger and Alb freight cars. The above
mentioned total of the passenger cars in
cludes imperial carriages and 5S2 &C
cessory cars, such as brake vans, luggage
and postal cars. Excluding these. the re-
naming passenger cars had a tctal capaci-
ty sufficient TO accommodate 5,651 first
class. 1860 second-class. and IL. .S22
thirdclass passengers, or 1873 passen
gers in all, which shows an increase of
30.oS4 seats compared with the end of
the preceding year. The total capacity
of the freight cars was 94,350 tons, or
an increase of 15.s03 tons over the pre-
ceding period. The total mileage run by
locomotive engines during the year under
review was 24.917, ,429 miles: by trains.
q. .911. 400 miles; and by passenger and
freight cars, $40, ,6S1,sS miles; showing.
respectively, an increase OF q, %. and 20
per cent as compared with the preceding
period. The quality of fuel consumed
was 1879 aons of coal and Ills BUSH
els OF liquid fuel.
THE traffic returns for the last fiscal
year show that the total number of passen-
gers carried on the State and private lines
" d. 'J,Vvi.coS, Wuht tut SUOuS
to 9,9l6.126 tons, besides lug
gage and parcels. which aggregated Sc. 7O5
tons. The aggregate receipts amounted
10 SIS 5,354.31S. made up OF s9.7s6.591 from
passengers, s., 1874 go from freight. $780,
si5 from luggage, s137 .701 from postal mat
ters, and $2,s51 from miscellaneous arti-
,les. Compared with the preceding year,
here was an increase Of 16 per cent in
passengers, IA per cent in freight, and is
per cent in luggage and parcels carried.
But when computed according to mileage,
here was decrease of "a per cent in pas
'engers and 3.6 per cent in freight.
Coming finally to the chapter dealing
With profit and loss accounts, We find that
he gross income on the State and private
ines for the year is put at S15.7S6,93
which is considerably larger than the
mount quoted in the foregoing paragraph.
We presume that the difference is covered
~ miscellaneous receipts. Against this in
.ome, the working expenditure amounted
o $S,S47 .241. SO that there was an aggre-
gate profit of s6,93s.676. Compared with
he preceding year. there was an increase
" s2.576,21S in income and $2,6S9, ,921 in
the result OF which was
decrease of $113.103 in the profits.
rhe aforementioned profits for the
asst fiscal year was at the rate of $3.50
YER $3.50 Of the cost of construction of the
pen mileage, showing decrease Of sl-1o.
'ious period.
"At the end OF March, 1S99 the number
4 the railway companies incorporated un-
Ter formal charters was 5S, with a total
apital OF s11S. .909, ,95O-paid up. s7s, ,774.332
-and a mileage of 3,737 miles (open, 1852
niles). Besides these, 26 new companies
we're formed under provisional charters
Turing the period under review, with
otal capital of $21 $50. .430, and a mileage
4 500 miles. OF the companies under for
nal charters, those which were actually
ding business numbered AZ. the rest being
ngaged in the work of construction. Out
I these AZ companies. only s had more
han 100 miles open for traffic"