The daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-13
PROFITS OF THE ROiOS
Making More Money Than Ever and
Costing Less to Run.

Making More Money Than Ever and
Costing Less to Run.
The roads which are claiming tnat
they are not doing specially well aud
on that account don't want to be reg
ulated tthis year, nave bul to turn to
their own books TO realize hom much
they are making. Here are the fig
ureS:
The last report OF the Southern Pa
cific railroad, as compared with the
year before shows that the transpor-
tation receipts increased $11, ,665, ,532,
while thecOst to the road of conduct
ing transportation was S2,323 ,050, or
less.
1t shows that it cost the company
that much less money last year to
haul $97, ,106073 worth OF freight, pas
senger and mail business, than it did
the year before to haul $S7, ,787,33S
worth.
During the fiscal year the cost Of
fuel for locomotives decreased S952,-
o2-. due mostly to the use OF oil il
place Of coal.
Substituting oil for coal and the use
Of larger locomotives to haul more
cars, net the company an annual saw
ing Of several million dollars.
But patrons get 10 benefit, in fact
the average rate charged last year for
hauling a ton Of freight mile was
1923 cents against LOLA cents the
year previous.
The report OF the Union Pacific rail
road shows immensely increased earn
ings; with substantially the same
mileage as in 1898 gross earnings have
risen S34,649,714 or over 100 per cent.
and net earnings s17,266,29 or over
1872 per cent
This increase in net earnings alone
is equal to per cent on a capitaliza-
ton Of S345,000,> %. 1t is not due to
Mr.. Harriman's genius as a railroad
man, but to the general public Great
ing new traffic owing to the country S
prosperity. All of the benefits are
appropriated by the railroad company
and none of it given to the public.
! The Union Pacific report, while sill
ent on the rate subjct, makes much of
economics in operation, dwelling at
length upon the fact hat the average
length upon the fact that the average
train load has increased from $50 10
80 tons While this device is splen.
didly successful for reducing expenses
it usually means that The freight does
not move until enough of it has ac
cumulated to make up a big train
load hence it is often delayed. rend
ering the device by no means so pop
ular with the shippers as it is with
the stockholders.
The average freight rate per toI
per mile on lowest grade ore in th.
state of Nevada is 1915 cents, while
without the state it is only 1.12;
cents.
From such data as is at hand i
!, appears that the average commodity
, rate on shipments from Chicago tt
) San Francisco per mile per hundred
. pounds is six-tenths of mill, Will,
, from Chicago to Reno, 24f miles =,
: mountain hauling nearer, it is nine
: tenths of a mill or 331a per cen
: higher, and the local rate in Nevad
r is nine mills or ten times as much a
: on the through haul. These figure
are more significant when compare
t with the average freight per ton pc
/ mile prevailing on tie Union Pacifi
5 railroad, which is a little more tha
2 nine mills per G000 pounds as agains
! nine mills per 100 pounds in Nevada
2 Figures are at present in prepare
0 ton comparing the average rates i
: Nevada with that of other state
l Nevada today, is struggling harde
b than any other tate in the Union. il
e wealth and population have trebele
: within the past three years. If thi
5 could be accomplished under advers
!. conditions, how much more progres
s can the state make with railroa
rates at least as good as other state
e have?