The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-16
. . n,...,nr instead of a curse

be made Diessins iHs VI - S~ASe 70 our ni ,resntai supervision. reasona- biv and justly administered. and not Government ownership Is, to my mind. the only solution of tnts great prop,
 with snrne derree of truth, that if our State and National leaders In politics would cease their wild ana unmeaning rantings against railroaos, combines sions % u and and prejudices of the great mass es of the people. arousing bitter par thinking public. for the upbuiiding of their own or their partys ni,a polttlcai Tor. serious and conscientious study of this ouestIon. along broad and statesman like lines, a remedy would soon be found that would conserve the inter esfa of the public and the railroads as
 well. The people and the railroads. unfortunateiy. look only upon one side of this question, and that side only which effects their individual interests. These thoughts. 1t seems 10 me, sug-
 M At the risk of being thought tedious. I have gathered few facts and figures
 which should be of interest to every
 raiiroading in the United States.
 .Sf on Tune 80, 1893. the total number
 of miles of single track was 207,s77.22,
 substantially complete returns upon
 line on which track privileges were
 exercised. show gross earnings on that
 date of one billion. nine hundred mill
 lion, eight hundred and forty-stx thou
 sand. nine hundred and seven dollars,
 sI eoo. .sl6 .907). Totol operating ex-
 penses, not including amounts paid for
 damages and taxes. were one billion,
 two hundred and fifty-seven million,
 i've hundred and thirty-eight thousand,
 eight hundred and fifty-two dollars,
 (Si.257.53S,s52), showing net earnings
 above actual operating expenses of six
 hundred and forty-three million. three
 i've dollars. (sSs4. .os6l, The aver
 age Rross earnings per mile from oper-
 ation' was nine thousand. two hundred
 and fifty-eight dollars. (s,25s.ool. aver
 six sEs tRcusana' bpa one hundred and twenty
 five dollars, s6.f25.oo), and average net earnings per mile were three thousand, one hundred and thirty-three dollars. Interesting to student of the trans- portation problem In the southern |, States.
 In Alabama:
 AveInEis miie. gross ..... @ ;5.o7s .ss
 Average operating expenses eco. .a Average net earnings per mile !. ...... .'... .'... .. Azso.fs
 AVernns miis. ..... sros' ...s5,oss. 50
 per mile. .... ........ s.5sl .7s
 A'eiaee .e. -. ..... 1.5os .57
 Average gross earrings per o., m
 A.' per miis ........ ........ s.s1s. .oo
 AVah mile. .... ....... 1881, % In Texas:
 Average gross earnings per . mtle.. 2. ....-.S0ttaA.sv .sv
 Average operating expenses u.. .. per miie.... .... ...;, 4,tss'zs Average net earnings per mile
 ss.e's ASVVVsSA have been unable to ascertain the l figures for the States of Mississippi. would show no higher earnings than those quoted.
 This data has been gathered partly from the report of the Interstate Com | merce Commission. partly from the report of the Railroad Commission of the State named, and from other re- liable sources. Now, while these fg- ures 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 gen. eral average. and that railroad deve-
 Iopment in the South Is yet In em- | lopment is southward, and it takes no prophet to fortell that with falr and just treatment of our railroads,
 we yill in a few years more become country. ,I It behooves us. therefore, tn | the South particularly, to treat capital | fairly and to work out this great
 problem patiently lSyonId a1d sna %sh ,Ss fata mistake of mulcting our railroads in | unlimited damages for slight personal l injuries, and buFdening them with
 same time reduce their revenues be- | low that point which would yield them | a fair return upon their invested capi. l tai, it can be easily seen that like the | owner of "the fabled hen that laid the golden egg," we would destroy the Very source of our greatest prosperi'
 In nearly all the States of the Union there has been, and will continue to be, a glamour for a decrease in the cost of | transportation. Many and ingenious have been the plans devised to bring about this much desired result. The fact that the railroads have pr0Spered | for the past several years has given | impetus to this movement.
 While their operating expensesfhavs greatly increased and the cost of con" '" struction and the wages of employees are largely in excess of what they were n few years since, still, on account of the prosperous conditions which have prevailed, their gross. as we'll as net earnings, have also increased, and there has been femarkable healthy condition in their financial affairs. In view of these facts. do not like to take A pessimistic view of the future, but as i see it. note Of warning should be sounded and spirit of conser vatism prevail in the future exercise or governmenta tai control of the vast rail- road corporations of this great coun- 1 try. The railroads owe the public the very best service, at the very cheapest cost which their financial conditions can sustain, but let us not in our eager desire for better service, and cheaper traIlsportation, lay our hands so heav- l ily upon them as to retard progress. or to result in deprtying the owners ot their property without due process or law. -
 and possible surprise, t0-teH you, that. according to the report of the later state Commerce Commission, In 1909 the railroads of the United States paid | as damages for injuries to persons alone, the enormous sum of eleven mill | lion, six hundred and eighty-two thou Ifsand seven hundred and hfty-six dol | lars (11,6S2.756.) I have not the fg-
 ures for 1908, but assume that the amount is at least as great, If not greater. I have ascertained the num- | Der of accidents which happened du- ring the year ending June 30. 1903. and
 find that the total number of persons Killed in the United States was 9.S40: | injured, 76.553; total. s6.393. Placing | the damages at the same amount as | 1902. I find that this gives an average | of Si 1852 which the railroads have paid | Der only 355 passengers were killed
 and s,2S1 injured. I also find that | only one passenger was killed out of
 a total of 1.s57,l41 carried. and only