The age-herald., 1901-07-18
EXACT EARNINGS
 OF THE RAILROADS Interesting Figures on What
 They Make in a Year IMMENSE AMOUNT TAXES There Accrued Against the Railroads During the Fiscal Year In Taxes
 $47,415,4ss, or an Average
 of $254.7s Per Mile.
IMMENSE AMOUNT TAXES

thirteenth annual report of the Inter state Commerce Commission furnish som, rather interesting statistics. This report will be issued by the commission within the next few months.
 The following abstract from that re port of the volume which deals with tho earnings and expenses of the railroads ol the United States Is especially interesting
 For the year ending June 30, 1900. tho gross earnings from the operation of tho railways in the United States. covering an operated mileage of 192,556.03 miles were H.4S7,044,s14, being S173, ,434, ,696 more than for the preceding fiscal year. The operating expenses were se61. .42S.511, the increase in this item being s1O4, ,45e, ,512 The details of gross earnings were as follows: Passenger revenue s323, ,715, ,639- increase as compared with the preceding year $32,602.e46; mailss7. .752 474-increase a75s, ,46S; expenses $2S, ,416 15o-increase S,- 66O,@6; other earnings from passenger | service $S161, ,022-increase $473,659; freight | revenue $1,049 256, ,S23-increase $135, 5,51e. .16S: | other earnings from freight service s3.- 345,912-decrease $915,ss2; other earnings from operation, including unclassified items, $S6.Ss7 ,294-increase s2,s41, ,556. Gross earnings from operation per mile of line was $17 more than for the year ending June 30, 1899. being s7722.
 'The operating expenses of the raiI ways for the year under review were dis tributed as follows: Maintenance of way and structures, $211, ,22O521, increase, $3o,- sO9,T5; maintenance of equipment $751; 17S,Sso increase 90.254, ,es1; conducting transportation. $529, 116. .s26, increase, 42.- 956,71S; general expenses. $39, BPS, ,765, in- crease, $651 ,SS2; undlstributed, s5S9, ,019. The operating expenses for the year in question were s4s9s per mile of line, or s42s more than for the previous year An analysis of operating expenses for the year ending June SO 1900, according to the fifty-three accounts embraced in the official classification. appears in the re- port, with a statement of the percent age of each item of the classified operat- ing expenses for the years 1895 to 1900, in- elusive.
 From Operation.
 "The income from operation or amount of gross earnings after deduction of oper- ating expenses, generally designated as net earnings. was s525 GIG. .9Os, an increase as compared with the previous year of $6s, s,975,1S4. The average amount per mile of line for the year ending June 30 19Oo was $2,729, and for 1899. $2435 The amount of income received from sources other than operation was $162, ,ss5,0n. This amount embraces the following items: Income from lease of road, $9e. .429, ,819; dividends on stock owned, $24, ,490 253; in- terest on bonds owned, $11 S33,9 ,947; miscel- laneous income. s27.1sl,2 225 The total in- come of the railways, seSS, ,501 274-that is, the income from operation increased by the income from other sources-is the item from which fixed charges and an- alogous items are deducted in order to reach the amount available for dividends The total of these deductions was $461.- 240,s27, leaving $227, ,oe0, AZ as the net in- come for the year available for dividends or surplus.
 '"The amount of dividends declared dur ing the year dncluding $4542 other pay ments from net income) was $139 6O2, ,514 leaving as the surplus from the opera tions of the year, ss7.e57,sS3. the corres- bonding surplus for the year ending June 30, 1899, having been $53,Os4,sT.
 '"The deductions from income. $4s1 .240.- 927. already mentioned. comprised the following items: Salaries and main tenance of organization, $52o 1o2; interest accrued on funded debt, $152. 949, ,616; inter- est on current liabilities, &912, S92; rents paid for lease of road, $101, ,s51, ,S19; taxes, $4S,332. .27S; permanent improvements charged to income account, s25,5oo0a5; other deductions. $S.o46so.
 Taxes Paid.
 '-The report will contain summary of taxes paid by railways. the gross amount and the amount per mile of line being given for each state. From this 1t ap- pears that, disregarding taxes paid to the United States government under the re- cent internal revenue act and small amounts not apportioned by states. there accrued against the railways of the Unit ed States during the fiscal year in ques-, tion taxes to the amount of $47, ,415, 433. or an average tax of $254.7S per mile of line.
 ''In the consideration of the foregoing figures pertaining to income and expendi- ture 1t should be held in mind that annual reports of two kinds are made to the com mission by railway companies. Operating reports are filed by such companies as maintain full operating accounts. and financial reports by such companies as have leased their property to others for operation, their own income, apart from that derived from investments, being the annual fixed or contingent rental paid by their lessees, from which they make their own disbursements. In consequence, cer- tain items of income and expenditure are necessarily duplicated in comprehensive summaries which are compiled from re- ports of both classes. The source and extent of such Implications are clearly in- dicated by the statistician. His report contains also an income account of the railways of the United States, considered as a system. The figures in this account are such as would be presented were the railways owned by the government-ope- rations, tariffs and expenses remaining the same. They eliminate intercorporate payments by making use. when necessary, ,f t,ol lov nto