The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-04

in tonnage hauled other than wheat of
1,433,000 tons. A large portion of this
was short haul merchandise, due to the
general improved business conditions
in the country served by this company.
This accounts for the seemingly small
reduction in the average revenue per
ton per mile of .16 mills, or 1.72 per
cent
In the report for last year it was esti-
mated that the reduction in wheat
rates made on account of the open
ing Of the line between Fosston and
Duluth would reduce the company's
revenue by about S1,000.00O. The years
statistics show reduction in the aver
age revenue received for transporting
a bushel of wheat of 13 cents, equiva-
lent to about SS7500O
The earnings from passenger trains
show an increase during the year of II
per cent. or 1921 ,66O35. OF this there
was contributed from mails and ex-
press $273,6S0.03, and from strictly pas
senger sources, including sleeping cars,
etc, $447,9S0.32 There is probably no
better illustration of the growth of the
Western country than the increase in
mail earnings. The United States post
office department pays for transporta-
ton of mails upon the basis of the
weight carried, as ascertained by an
official weighing once every four years.
The mails carried west of the Mime
sota-North Dakota state line were
weighed during the spring of 1898 and
compensation on basis of weights then
ascertained began to accrue from July
l. 1898. Therefore practically the en-
tire increase of 1929, 08S.2S, or 51.04 per
cent, In mail earnings comes from the
increase in mail matter carried to and
from the Pacific coast. 1t should also
be remembered that as the weight of
mail increases the rate Of pay per
pound decreases and in consequence
10 icl, aat1 tra h
ably Is per cent. more than it was four
years ago.
The average revenue received per
passenger mile has decreased from 1922
cents TO 2.20S cents. .. 80
The tons one mile have increased n.36
per cent, the car miles 6.24 per cent
and the freight train mileage asa per
cent, increasing the average load Of
316 tons per train nearly 20 tons 1923
per cent? to 336.172 tons. ~.
In last years report reference was
made to the value of permanent i'm
provements on the line. covering re-
auctions in grade and curvature. and
the general condition of the roadbed,
which, with better methods in con-
Quoting transportation, is shown in the
increased average load and revenue
per train mile.
During the period covered by this re-
port thorough examinations and sur
VeyS have been made over important
portions of the line, particularly be-
tween Havre and the Pacific coast and
on the Montana Central, which show
that existing grades can be greatly re-
duced and the line improved to an ex-
tent which will increase the train load
and give the entire transcontinental
line lower grades than can be had over
any other route.
A large part of this work is now I'M
der way and will be completed during
iC tnH
that the entire work will be completed
within IS months.
The Cascade tunnel is we'll advanced
and will be ready for trains in the fall
of 1900, at which time all the improve
ments on the entire transcontinentai
line should be finished
At Spokane the company has secured
favorable locations for passenger and
freight facilities upon which new pas
senger and freight stations, with con-
Venient ana extensive yards, will be
built.
The board of directors, after due con-
sideration, has thought the better way
to provide capital required for future
extensions or purchases of new lines
would be by the issue of additional
shares OF stock, giving the shareholders
the opportunity to subscribe for the
same at par in proportion to their re-
spectlve holdings. This policy will rap-
idly reduce the annual interest charge
and strengthen the company's position
in every way.
Freight agents of the different coast
lines are still perplexed over the short
age in cars. The belief is general that
there will be no let-up in the demand
| until after the new year at least, and
many place 1t as late as the early
spring. The volume of westbound bust
ness continues remarkably heavy.
Three months ago it was predicted
that it would ease off shortly, but no
perceptible change has yet been noted,
There is little hope of securing the
cars taken west with merchandise for
through shipments east from the coast,
as they are being reserved to carry
coal into the mountain districts. There
heavy falls of snow have resulted in
blockades and require the frequent
operation of snow plows to keep the
lines open. The rotaries now at work
on the Great Northern, and to lesser
degree on the Northern Pacific, eat up
fuel at a big rate, and the supply of
coal cars on the coast has barely sup
piled the needs of the plows. Many
box cars in Seattle and vicinity have
been withheld for that purpose.
A short time ago the Northern Pacl-
fic issued an order declining to accept
shipments to the east routed via Bill
lings, except in Burlington cars, owing
to the general shortage. The reason
assigned was that their cars were too
long absent from their own road. Inc
order was met by the Burlington people
with an offer to turn over daily GER
tain number of cars to the Northern
Pacific, and a further offer to make
transfer at that point. This resulted
in the Northern Pacific countermand-
ing its previous order, but as only
few Of the Burlington cars reached
there. and practically none of the
Northern Pacific cars are back from
the transfer point, the situation at 9TH
er western points is in no sense re-
Eeved.
: The Northern Pacific few days ago
filed at Oregon City, Ore, on $4,000