Lewiston daily teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1901, 1900-10-23
Instructive Business Notes.

cipal authority on the subject OF railways
in the United States as it is business
publication and has nothing to do with
politics it is reliable. The publicat ions OF
the statistical bureau of the interstate COM
merce commission are also very valuable
but many democrats refuse to giveproper
credit to the latter publication, because it
is claimed partisanship may display itself
in the reports.
From Poor's Manual, therefore, we
take the following figures to show that !
the prosperity the republicans have been
about for the past two years is no dream
The 1900 edition is just out and is as in
terestipg nunler as has ever
been issued Railroad expansion
was shown to have been at a
standstill from 1894 to 1897 and the
growth has been rapid since then The
increase in freight rolling stock from
1894 to 1897 was 5000 cars. The increase
from 1897 to 1899 Was nearly 100, 900
cars The tons of freight moved in 1897
was about the same as the tons of freight
moved in 1895, but the tons moved in
1898 was an increase Of twenty five per
cent. Passenger traffic on regular steam
lines is almost stationary and the increase
has been slight. But to Offset tn is there
has been an enormous increase in pas
senger traffic on suburban electric street
car lines. There are many electric lines
now connecting towns where formerly
the only travel was by frequent trains.
now the electric car service with trips
from five to fifteen minutes apart has cut
into passenger traffic. Earnings show
about the same difference in the pros
porous and non prosperous years respect
lively. Dividends have been smaller be-
cause there has been such an amount of
permanent improvement work done upon
roadbeds.
IN 1898 the employees on railroads in
the United States numbered S75,6o2 and
in 1894 over 10000 had to be dis
charged. Dull times. 1t was in 1898 be-
fore the record Of 1898 was equalled and in
1900 the records show gas, 924 employees.
This is nearly four per cent of the total
population of the United States. Of
every ten dollars spent on operating ex-
penses the employees received six dollar
The total operating expenses in 1899
were 1856 1863, 900 and of this the en-
ploves received $522, 1868, 900, but labor
came in again on other items, however.
The money spent on improvements was
about f22 200. 900, the larger part being
labor Other operating expenses which
meant purchase of machinery, supplies,
ETC., cost about S334,ooo, 900 and il can be
readily be seen that this meant the EN-
ployment Of a vast number to get these
things out. If labor is to get any more
out Of the railroad business it can only
come by increased earnings and the
question arises, "Will the CARRYING bust
ness of the United States be improved by
democratic SUGGEST" Read and ponder
the following:
President Harrison in his 1892 message
to congress says: "a comparison of the
existing conditions with those of the
most favored period in the history of the
country will, believe, show that so high
degree of prosperity and so general
diffusion of the comforts of life were
never before enjoyed by our people,"
The following year President Cleve-
land said IN his message: with plente-
Gus crops. with abundant promise of re
munerative production and manufacture,
with unusual invitation to safe invest.
ment and with satisfactory assurance to
business enterprise, suddenly financial
distrust and fear have sprung up on every
side. Values supposed to be liked are
fast becoming conjectural and loss and
failure have invaded every branch Of in
dustry."
OF the freight tonnage for 1900 the
product of the mines was 81 per cent.
(this was principally coal and useful met.
ais; gold and silver and precious metals
being OF slight amount), farm products
and animals II per cent; manufactured
articles - per cent; forest products II
per cent, and general merchandise only
about "A per cent. Nothing more IS
need to show how evenly balanced are
tue various industries IN the country and
how foolish and wicked thing the dem
ocrats are doing when they attic mpt to
array one class against another.
AS to rates on railroads. With the in.
creased business and improved methods
rates nave gone down. The average rate
per ton mile in 1890 was o.o4I cents and
lhe average rate per ton mile in 1899 was
o.a<4 cents. passenger rates have also |
fallen somewhat aud the averana +a4a X.