The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-05
AL Mines ARE
IN OPERATION
.C. & Q. Officials Say That There
is No Strike in Their !,8
,,.5 81 Territory. 4 as2l 5sz.ss5
PASSENGERS DO NOT. PAY
Interesting Paper Showing That
Railroads Lose on Passenger
Trains.

President George w. stevens, of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company,
is. in Cincinnati and will not return to
Ricl,mond until Sunday. 4sg
General Manager Doyle, OF the Ches-
eapeake and Ohio. said on yesterday that
every coal mine In the New River and
Kanuwha Districts were in full opera
ton.
It is understood that only fifteen per
cent OF the mines OF the New River
District are organized and only about
sixty per cent. IN the Kanawha Dlstrlct.
Upon Tho authority OF the Central Man
ayers sl,Association Of Chicago, Slason
Thompson has issued a pamphlet TO show
that tho passenger service OIL Inc country
Is not self sustaining. 81, y53 Il Il IA
Mr., Thonpson's opening shot is as fol-
lows: ''Althought it is Incapable OF posi-
tive proof, it is probably a fact that the
passenger traffic of the Anne rlcan rail-
ways is carried on at the expense OF the
freight traffic.
This statement has caused general dis
cusslon among passenger men. many OF
whom, believe that they had outgrown
the position OF head of tho ornamental
branch Of the service. BY the latter
appelaton the passenger service was
known among freight mon for years
The passenger representatives nave NJ
ways taken exception to it and have IN
sisted that the passenger business brings
in It's fair proportion Of railroad rcve-
nues. They also claim that freight men
forgot the fact that 1t Is the passenger
business which advertses n railroad and
that a shipper usually ships as he rides
Mr.. Thompson, however, declares that,
although it lis impossible to demonstrate
that the Average passenger earnings OF 7
cents per passenger mile, which the roads
now receive do not cover the cost OF
Operations, is sufficient justification sfoT
the assertion that the margin between tho
two is 80 small as to leave an inadequate
sum for taxes, fixed charges and necessary
renewals, to say nothing OF dividends. M
toresting statistics are given to show That
this must DO the case.
Il, Mr. Thompson insists that. a1thouslstlle
railroads have not received more than
an average Of 2.05S cents lU' passenger
mile for eighteen years. 1T would not DO
possible to adopt a. maximum of cents
without forcing the railroads seriously to
cripple their service 'by reducing the NUM-
her OF trains, reducing the speed and cur
Stntling special rates andsspecia service
M4wSgivcn the public
pense to which railroads have been put
Of late to maintain such q SERVED as the
public demands Is said to be track ele-
yatIon In Chicago, which has cost $780,
U0, 600, and which will cost 100000 more
IT is also shown that the cost OF passenger
locomotives has Increased 1O+ per cent
since 1885, the cost of proaches GO per cent,
mall cars %. baggage cars 93, wages OF
enginemen 1876, of nrcmen l7.2, OF con-
Iductors l6 and Of trainmon q per cent,
The entire gross earnings OF the pas
senger service, including mail and express,
do not exceed o7,42 pcr cent OF the total
gross earnings OF The railroads. Figures
jaroj then given which, Mr., Thompson says,
arc convincing evidence that tho passen-
ger earnings propcr5do not Some within
$7s,0O0,000 of meeting the expenses OF tho
service aid that the revenue OF passenger
trains, including earnings from mail, ex-
press, ETC., exceeds the cost Of operation
by only $D. CO. 05 81 t'ai
This sum is equal, he says, to slightly
over I per cent. on one-third tho funded
debt of tho railways, with nothing left
over for dividends upon an equal propor-
ton OF the stock,