New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-02
RAILROADS SHOW PROSPERITY.
BETTER TIMES-CONDITIONS NOW
AND THREE YEARS AGO.

Washington. May 81 (speciaD.-"There is no bet
ter index of business prosperity depression in
the United States than the condition of the rail-
roads" said Clarence u. Clark, United States Sem
ator from Wyoming. Who Is chairman of the Sem
ate Committee on Railroads. when railroads are
carrying lots of passengers we know that the peo-
pie have money to spend in travelling. or that
business compels them to travel As the move
ment Of freight grows the volume OF business
transacted is the increase. The larger the earn
ings OF the railroads the more satisfactory are not
only their balance sheets, but also those of the
merchants and manufacturers who are shipping
and receiving the goods.
Between the years 1893 and 1895 there a loss
of $3.50 mile in the passenger earnings of the rail-
roads of the United States. In 1895 the freight
earnings of all the roads were SIG a mile less than
In 1898 Adding this the loss of passenger earn
ings gives total loss OF 81 ,l2S mile in 1895. as
compared with the freight and passenger earnings
for all the roads 1893 Apply this to the 10000
miles of road in operation In that year. and we
have total loss of 1902 1000 for all the roads,
Now look the other side OF the picture. In
1898 both passenger and freight earnings had begun
to pick up again, the passenger earnings In that
year being $40 mile more than in 1895. and the
freight earnings being s64S more a mile than in
1926. Last year the showing even better, the
gain in passenger earnings being ISL a mile over
1895 and in freight earnings 1901 mile over 1895
This gives gain of $3.50 mile in 1899 over the
earnings of the roads in 1895. or total of a161eO
600 more earnings from these two sources last year
than In 1895
Now summarize these figures. and have IN
1898 total gross earnings of 5000 mile In 1895
the total gross earnings were only $3.50 mile,
loss of 81. 040 a mile within two years. In 1898 the
total gross earnings s6775 mile, an increase
of sos 1895 but last year the total earnings
were $7OS7 a mile, increase OF 1907 over 1895.
DISCHARGED UNDER CLEVELAND.
Naturally enough. when the railroads were
carrying fewer passengers and less freight in 1885,
and their earnings were falling away they began
to ecenomize. and more than one hundred thousand
men were discharged during the second Admin
istraton of President Cleveland. In 1898: during
President McKinleys Administration. ss,52i men
had been re-employed Last the railroads In
creased their additional help to upward of one hun,
amount of wages circulated throughout the coun-
try this source alone exceeded 800 100000
nans inns in the Country and BIDS fair to continue
Arrangements have been made for tAe construction
during the coming year. The average number of
so that this new construction means employ ment
for mere TsrSad men and 5h means tne
Unless business seemed TO be on a sound basis: and
So YOU can be quite that such large additional
expenditures Of money for wages would be In
"A few more facts and have done. The divi-
dends paid by the railroads of the United States
ministration by sl2,6loOn. In the three following
as 81 s9 thus bringing the earning capacity Of the
roads back condition little better than 1t
almost $50 600 600 in President Clevelands time but
have since increased by almost S66,5Oo000.
MORE NEW LINES BUILDING.
During Mr. Cleveland's second railroad
building almost at standstn there being
only 354s miles built. But in 1898 and 1899 there
were 67ls miles built. and there will be about fifty
nine thousand miles built this year. In the total
freight ar @ me more hsn pr mas
under the present Republican Administration. The
total messenger earnings S2935 40 in 1892; in
1895 tEey amounted to only $3.50 9i9. IA showing
loss of Ss2 62 7S5. In 1898 the earnings sra
bS9 SOL showing gain over 1888 of Nl ,6J9S50 in
senger earnings alone"