The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-30
BIC FREIGHT TRAFFIC
OVER ONE BILLION TONS MOVED
BY RAILROADS IN
1900
HEAVY PASSENGER BUSINESS
Report of Interstate Commerce
Commission Shows That the
Roads Did a Remunerative
Business Last Year.

The total amount of freight tonnage
reported by the carriers for the ending
June 80, 1900, according to the last re-
port of the interstate commerce commits
sion, was 1,1O1, $50, 23S tons; of this amount
957, Cos tons were classified by COM
modities, but it should be held in mind
that this deals with 81 per cent only of
aggregate tonnage. The amount return
ed by the carriers as originating on the
line of the reporting companies during
the year ending June 60 1900, was sic, 1872 =
III tons, and it is this figure or rather
this Inquire increased by it's proper pro-
portion of unclasssified tonnage, which
amounts to 593,970,955 tons, that should be
accepted as the true measure of the
amount of traffic handled
Products of mines furnished by far the
largest amount of tonnage. The num-
Der of tons carried during the year COW
cred by the report was 271, COZ, 072, or 81 50
per cent of the aggregate This is per-
maps the lowest grade of freight carried
1t would be interesting to know what
portion of gross earnings is contributed
by this class of freight, but unfortunate
ly the present form of report does not
call for classification of freight earn
lngs. Products of agriculture furnished
o5,46S 496 TONS of 10. per cent of the ag-
gregate
The report has some interesting figures
on passenger mileage. The number of
passengers carried one mile during the
year covered by the report was $685.
OCl,217, being an increase as compared
with the previous year of 1,447, 679, 604
This figure stands for the increase in the
quantity of passenger traffic. The den
slty of passenger traffic is measured by
assigning passenger mileage to mile
age basis. 1t is shown that the number
of passengers carried one mile per mile
of line during the year ending June 80
1900 was 1926, being an increase as COM
pared with the previous year in passen-
ger density of 5474.
The average gross earnings per mile on
all the railways of the United States for
the year ending June 30, 1900, was ST 1922
Comparing this figure with the cor
responding figures of previous years, it
WllI be observed that the gross earnings
per mile of line for the year ending June
80, 1900, exceed those of any previous
year, the one year which approaches it
being the year ending June 80, 1892 when
the average earnings per mile of line
amounted to $7,213. The increase in aver
age earnings per mile of line for the year
covered by the report as compared with
the previous year, was $717 The increase
in operating expenses was $423, which
shows an increase in net earnings of 1924
per mile of line The dividends per mile
of line for the year covered by the re-
port were $725, being 1888 per mile of line
in excess of dividends declared the previ-
Gus year, and also in excess of the divi-
dends declared during any year since 1890
The surplus assigned to the mileage basis
gives surplus of $455 per mile of line.
railways derive their earnings from
two main sources-the passenger service
and the freight service. Under the pas
senger service are included the trans
portation of passengers, of mail, of ex-
press, and other services incidental to
passenger traffic.
Passenger revenue for the year ending
June 80, 1900, amounts to 1929, us, 500, an
increase of 32,6O2646 as compared with
the previous year. The government con-
trlbuted to railways during the same
period 1872, Ala for transporting the mail,
and the express companies paid $28 49,
$50 for carrying express matter The
amount received by the railways during
the. same period for the transportation
of freight was s., 049, 256, 323 being an M
crease as compared with the correspond
ing figure for the previous year of $685.
5l9,l6S. For the year covered covered by
the report, it appears that passenger
revenue contributed PIT per cent to the
gross earnings Of railways, while freight
revenue contributed 7056 per cent The
passenger service, including mail and
express, for the same period contributed
26H per cent, and the freight service
contributed 7078 per cent. 1t cannot be
said that these percentages measure ac-
curately the relative Importance of the
passenger service and the freight service
in railway administration, because each
of these services is in a degree dependent
upon the other; they do, however have
a direct bearing upon the rules which
govern railway administration.