The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-20
IS A VAST INDUSTRY
UNITED STATES HAS 2ey,O73 MILES
 OF RAILROAD TRACK.
Enormous Sum Paid in Wages-The Total Number of Casualties on Railroads in 1904 was 04, POI,
 About 10 Per Cent Pas

Tne annual report or the lHteFslaCo Commerce Commission giving the rail- road statistics for the year 1904 shows that there were at the end of that year 297.073 miles of railroad in the United States, of which 212,243 miles were sim gle track, 15,824 miles second track, l. 467 miles third track, 1,467 miles fourth track. and the remainder yard track and sidings. The increase in single trackage for the year was 5,927 miles. exceeding the increase for any previous year since 1880.
 The number of railway corporations included in the report was 2,104. Of this number 1.0S6 maintained operating accounts, S4S being chased as indepen- dent operating roads and 238 as subsi- diary roads. Of roads operated under lease or some other form of contract SIS received 8 fixed money rental, 147 a contingent money rental and 257 were operated under conditions not readily classified
 In the course of the year railway companies owning $500 miles of line were reorganized, merged. consolidat- ed, etc. For the year 1908 the corre- spending Item was 10,4S6.37 miles. The length of mileage operated by receiv- CTS on June 30, 1904 was 1923 miles. The number of roads in the hands of receivers was 2S, and at the close of the previous year 27.
 Locomotives and Cars.
 On June 30 1904, there were in the service of the railways 46,743 locomo- tives. the increase being 2,s72. The total number of cars of all classes ex- elusive of those owned by private com panies was 1,79S.561. an increase of 45,- 172 during the year. Of these ss.752 were in the passenger service and l. 692,194 in the freight work. The re- maining cars were employed directly in the service of the companies. Practi- cally all of the passenger locom olives and cars were equipped with airbrakes and automatic coupiers. The same was true of freight locomotives and a large majority of freight cars. Of 1,692,i94 cars in freight service, 1.434,3S6 had train brakes and 1,674.427 automatic couplers.
 The number of persons on the pay rolls of the railways in the United States, as returned for June 30, 1904. was 1.296.121. or ell per 100 miles of line. q decrease for the year of 16,416.- or 2s per 100 miles. The wages and salaries paid for the year amountei to $817,59S,S10.
 The par value of the amount of rail- way capital outstanding on June 50. 1904. was $13.213,124. 79, which repre- sents a capitalization of $64,265 per mile. Of this capital $6,3S9, S99,329 ex- isted as stock, of which $5,050, ,529 469 was common and $1.2s9, ,369.S60 pre- ferred, and the remaining part, $8,s73,- 225, 1850. as funded debt, which consisted of mortgage bonds. 6,s98,9s3; mis- cellaneous obligations. $723,114, 1896: in- come bonds, $a2s.S76,6s7, and equip ment trust obligations, $173,334. .694. Current liabilities for the year amount ed to $ss1, 1,62s,720. or $4,2ss per mile of line.
 Paid Nc Dividends.
 Of the total capital stock outstand- ing $2,696. 472,010, or 4253 per cent. paid no dividends. The amount of dividends declared during the year was $221,941.- 049, being equivalent to e.09 per cent. on dividend paying stock.
 The number of passengers reported as carried by the railways in the year was 7l5,419,6S2. an increase of 20,52s,- 147 The passenger mileage, or the number of passengers carried one mile, was 21.923,2l3,5Se. having increased r. 007, ,449, ,655.
 The number of tons of freight car ried was 1.S0S, S,Ss9.165, which exceeds the tonnage of the previous year by 5.504, SAP tons. The ton mileage. or the number of tons carried one mile was 174,522. 0S9,577.
 The gross earnings were $1.075.174,- o91 being $74,327,1S4 greater than for the pEeNlouS year. IHelT operating eX- penses were s1,sss.sS6,25S. an increase of $s1 ,357,401.
 The total number of casualties to persons on the railways was 94.2O1. of which 10,046 represented the number of persons killed and 84.155 the num- Der injured. Of the persons killed Al were passengers and of the wounded 9.l11, or 1 killed out of every 1,622,267 carried and l injured out of every iS,- 523 carried.