The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-18

dressed meats, and packing-house
products from Missouri river points to
Chicago is noted.
Many advances have been worked
by changes in classifications. The
class rates have generally remained
the. same, but numerous commodities
have been advanced from lower to
higher class. There has also been a
constant disposition to remove special
privileges which had previously, been
accorded and to charge for services
for which before no charge had been
made.
Competition Eliminated.
The commission points out that such
concert of action does prevail as prac-
tically eliminates all competition in
the tariff rate. The requirement Of
the law that carriers shall compete af-
fords no protection to the public.
1t has been frequently said that the
adjustment, Of freight rates is a deli
cate commercial proposition, which
could only be dealt with by people
having a most intimate knowledge of
conditions and could not be revised by
any outside body. The advances in
the last three years have not been
made upon that theory. They haye
not originated with the traffic repre-
sentatives of the various systems, but
rather with the financial heads of
those systems. Railway managers an
sist that these advances have been JUS
titled by increased cost Of operation,
and that the whole country is ex-
per1enclng period of prosperity in
which railways are entitled to share.
/ There is now no way in which these
advances can be prevented. The re-
suits of all the recent improvements in
transportation facilities is an increase
in the transportation charge. This
species of property now possesses the
power to tax unjustly every other
fspeeies of property. a. Y... --,-. 3D.,
Co.. Concessions to Favored Shippers.
While the commission believes that
rates have been generally maintained
during the past year, the necessity
which carriers have felt in this respect
has begotten a new crop of eXpedients
for the purpose Of favoring particular
shippers. - e.. s.,--. -.-
| There is no reason to believe that
| devices of this nature are frequently
resorted to. If the present law is not
sufficient to reach a case of this sort,
it is evident that some amendment
/ should be secured which will; for if
carriers are free to make contracts
I-and divisions Of this mature, it is
Eevident that, they may prefer at their
| option one manufacturer to another.
Private Cars and, Casualties.
The commission recommends that
| the payment Of car mileage for the
use Of private cars be regulated, and
| the allowance for their use controlled
by the commission to the same ex-
| tent as the rates of transportation.
In the year ending June, 80, 1903,
the number of passengers killed in
| train accidents was 164, and Of in
jured; 4,424; of employees killed, S95;
| injured, 6,440. Casualties from other
causes, added to these, make totals
| of 321 passengers and 3,233 employees
killed and 6,973 passengers and 49,
bers are larger by a considerable per-
| centage than. the corresponding num-
bers tof@the year1ast preceding. ..y l.
! Railroad Earnings. -
- This report comprises returns for
roads representing POI, 457 miles OF
! line, or about~9S per cent of the mile
age that will be included in the final
report.
The gross, earnings of the railways
for the year ending June 80, 1908, or
the mileage stated, were 81, $50, So
67a. The gross earnings for the
previous year, in 200,154 miles, as
shown in the: final report,w s1,726,.
380,267. Passenger earnings amounted
to $50S, ,683,009, and freight earnings
to $1,335, ,76S,5S1.~ Miscellaneous
earnings connected with operation
from operation averaged S9,3S2 pei
mile Of line. This average is @$75I
larger than the average as shown il
the complete report for 1902. Of the
gross earnings per mile of line, $2,52s
:. were assignable to the passenger serv.
/ ice and $500 to the freight service
The operating expenses of the roads
totaled $1,24S, ,4S3. This aggre-
gate is equivalent to an expenditure
of $6,197 per mile, or of 1920 more pei
mile than was shown in the complete
returns for 1902. The net earning:
thus shown for the year 1903 were
$641,630,1 0,196. Those of essentially
the same lines for the year 1902 were
$667, 7,547,926. On the same mileage
more per mile for 1903 than for the
/ previous year.
I - Net, Income : eFrs..}
! The total net income of the roads
! included in this advance report. was
! 1884, 4,709,435. This amount include:
$93, 3,079,239 received as income from
corporate investments and miscel
laneous sources. The aggregate of tn.
deductions from income was $643,
546,723. The principal items com
prised in these deductions were inter
est on funded debt, rents of LEASED
lines, permanent improvement
charged TO income, taxes tWllcF- -Weft
$50, 2,96O,004), and dividends. The re
sulting surplus from operations wa
s91 ,162,712. The full report for 190
showed: a surplus Of $94,S5 5,0SS. ~
Dividends.
The dividends declared during tn
year ending June 80, 1903, by tn
railway companies for which return
appear in the preliminary repor
amounted to s159.31O,O10. This sun
exceeds that representing the divi
dends of corresponding lines for 100
by $9,589,700. It should be under
stood that the preliminary report, be
ing compiled from the returns o
operating companies only, does not in
elude any statement of the dividend
, that are declared by those subsidiar
} companies which have leased thei
) property to others for operation. TIL
income of these companies is almos
wholly derived from the rentals which
; they receive from their lessees an,
; from which they make their own cor
porate expenditures, including divi
dends The lessor companies dis
: tributed as dividends among thei
stockholders in 1908 probably abou
-$35, 100000.