The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-16

a.ies of single track was 2o799 2z .,g sup 5f ir.i.'sai iy complete returns upon 1'''9i9,o tsesasuihs 5902.S7 miles O. line oli -. s,,a-A privileges were eSefelseu. ,.s,ss.. ni,,s is earnings on that date or one s s'' n,.a fort.. f.e haanderd million eight hss hui,uls1 sd
 - 1s-six thousand, nine hunafea anu sesen dollars Total operating expenses,
 os including amounts paid for aalhases % s.i9 taxes, were one billion, two s husiuiee s ta.s s..a hIty=seven million, five hnhai GU anu anu snir s,al Weight thousand, eight hundred anu anu -. a,ie ey-two dollars, showing net edinilss aapoEe actual operating expenses U. sls 4.aHafed and forty-three nhiiion, a., sas e.'s " aundred sal and eight thousand ano Ility-ilVe 1oiiars The average gross eafIihss pei Halle from operation was nine thousand, two hundred and ffty-eight dollors; aV- craze operating expenses per mile were SIX thousand, one hundred and twenty live dollars, and average net earnings per mile were three thousand, one nun dred and thirty-three dollars. Figures that follow are interesting:
 In Alabama
 Average gross earnings per mile .So'VfssS Average operating expenses per
 iiie ...'.... e,oo9'1' average net earnings per mile.'... i,z4o.aa
 In Georgia
 TUBS fdi iiiiiEs RS' Average operating expenses per
 mile ........................ 3,561.72 Average net earnings per mile..... l,5o2.5l
 In South Carolina
 average gross earnings per mile....$4,z4fVo Average operating expenses per
 mile ........................... 2,9lb.VO Average net earnings per mile... 1,SSloO
 In Texas
 Average gross earnings per mile. .s5, 744.5O average operating expenses per
 1ilie ........................t.. 4fSS.zs Average net earnings per mile.... 1,Oo6.21
 Earnings in the South.
 With reference to the earnings In south ern states President Smith declared:
 Now, while these figures show that the gross earnings in the group of southern states named are much smaller and that the net earnings is less than one-half the general average, and that railroad devel- opment In the south Is yet in embryonic state, still the trend of development Is southward, and 1t takes no prophet to foretell that with fair and just treatment of our railroads we will in few years more become the peers of any section of this country. It behooves us, therefore, In the south particularly. to treat capital fairly and to work out this great prob lem patiently and with untiring energy. If we should make the fatal mistake of mulcting our railroads of unlimited dam ages for slight personal injuries, and bur- den them with heavy and unjust taxes, and at the same time reduce their reve- nue below that point which would yield them fair return upon their invested capital, 1t can be sealiy seen that, like the owner of the fabled goose that laid the golden egg we would destroy the very source of our greatest prosperity.
 Tn nearly all the states in the union there has been, and will continue to be- a clamor for decrease in the cost of transportation. Many and many inge- nious have been the plans devised to bring about this much desired result The fact that the railroads have pros pered for the past several years has given impetus to this movement.
 Railroad Statistics.
 With reference to taxes paid by rail- roads, President Smith said:
 'It Is also an interesting fact that the gross amount of taxes paid by the railroads in the seven years from 1895 to 1902 increased from thirty-nine mill lion, eight hundred and thirty-two thous- and, four hundred and hirty-three dol lars to fifty-four million, four hundred and sixty-five thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven dollars. This represents two hundred and sxty-nine dollars of taxes paid by every mile of line, and is an increase of fifty dollars per mile for the period named. Think of itl Fifty four million. four hundred and sixty-five thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven dollars for taxes eleven million, six hum dred and eighty-two thousand, seven hun dred and fifty-six dollars, for personal injuries a total for these two items alone of sixty-six million. one hundred and fifty thousand, two hundred and ninety three dollars, paid annually by the rail- roads, which together with all other ex- penses, etc, they must necessarily earn before declaring one cent of dividend. ana 1t Is estimated that the railroads in 1904 will pay s600OO,O00 taxes. or nearly ten per cent of ther net earnings to the several states through which they run. It fo-.ows, logically therefore, that