The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-29
NEWS AND COMMENT.

The preliminary report of the income
account of railways in the United States
for the year ended June 30 1895 reported
to the Interstate Commerce commission
includes the returns of 720 lines, with an
aggregate mileage of ISL 1888 miles. The
receipts of the year were: Passenger
service, 1888, S02 1872 freight service $S7i,-
500, iS1; other earnings from operation
$50, 100 III; gross earnings, 81 l23S, 523 $50;
operating expenses, $Sll24 .45S; income
from operation, Si27, Isl, 800 The increase
of gross earnings over the previous year
was Sl6J, ,l6l 5S3. Operating expenses IN
creased $JS,71G99i and income $577lC,g13.
Gross earnings per mile increased sos;
operating expenses, $3GS; income, S340.
These are the largest figures reported
since 1892 and the income account shows
an increase of $40 mile over the report
for 1894. The total income of the rail-
roads for the year lS91-9S was S466 40 ll6.
Dividends We're paid amounting 10 $50
$685. 9l5. Other deductions dnterest on
bonds, taxes, &c)), 1855, lS9. 2O2, leaving a
surplus from operations of the year of
Si2 60i,999 The corresponding item for
the previous year showed a deficit from
operations of $l,4l2399. Statistician
Adams adds: "The amount of dividends
stated does not include those declared
upon the stock of lines operated under
lease, This report Is confined to operat-
ing roads. The gmount of dividends de-
Clarcd for operating roads exceeds the
amount of dividends declared for the
previous year by $6,S99S37. This fact,
taken in connection with the increased
surplus, suggests In another way the re-
yival of prosperity for American rail
ways
Some curious statistics are furnished
| from Washington which illustrate how
much of the work of congress is done in
| committee and how much of this work is
| of a negative character OF 1S463 bills
| and joint resolutions introduced in the
| two houses of the last congress l,45I or
| less than S per cent, became law. The
house was more conservative in its leg
! islatiOn than the senate, though the latter
| is commonly supposed to spend so much
mOrr time in debate. There were u COS
| mcusvE,f introduced in the house, an
! average uf 50 for each member. OF these
! Cu.y Lu>i or eight and a half per cent,
Were passed by the house and 9i6 We're
! cuucurred in by the senate, all but four
| receiving executive approval 5,S5j were
| introduced in the senate, an average Of
| G5 to each senator and LIS of these We're
passed, or more than twenty per cent, ;
| but the house conCurred in only 5l7 of
! them or less than half of the measures
| sent to ii by the senate. OF course a
vast proportion of all these rejected pro-
| positions are of merely private concern,
! but they all help to consume time, and
the record of congress is to be judged not
only by what il does but by what it does
not do. Philadelphia Times,
The total estimated population Of the
city Of Chicago at the last enumeration
made of its inhabitants was l,S5O,0OO, and
the total number of residents of Amer
can birth and American parentage was
only $1,000. There were at the same
| time 100000 Germans and German Ameri-
| cans in ChicagO-or 1000 more. OF these,
100000 We're born in German, 2Gl,0OO We're
| born in the United States of German
| parentage, and 22 900 were born in the
| United States, with one parent German
and the other American. This, says the
| New York sun, would not, as has been
| sometimes said mako Chicago German
city, but IL illustrates the large element
Of German population In that city more
| forcibly than anything else. These are
the late Chicago figures for the represen-
tatives Of other uationalities, foreigners
by birth or desccnti ireland, 2iS