Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-25
Senator EIkinS Presents Inter-
eSting Statistics on the De-
veIopment of Railroad BuSi-'
ness in United States.
CONSTANT TENDENCY
TOWARD LOWER CHARGES
Increase in Capitalization In
significant Compared With
Improvement in Equipment
and RoadbedS in II Years.
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased wire.I

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire. I
Washington, Feb. Ex-senator Ell
ktns, of West Virginia, has just COM
peted and filed in thef senate his mi
nortty report on the railroad rate law.
IT presents a comprehensive history
of the economic development of
American railroads. together with eX-
haustive tables which tend to show "A
constantly decreasing freight and
passenger rate, and the relation be-
tween such rates and the prices Of
commodities and cost of labor.
The average passenger rate" says
the report, advanced slightly from
1870 to 1850. During the next tweR-
ty-four years there was a decline
amounting to 1856 per cent of the
average for 1880 The net decline
from 1870 to 1904 was 16.14 per cent
The decline in the average rate per
mile per ton Of freight was 5S.71 per
cent during the years from 1870 to
1904, the rate for the earlier year be-
ing about two and one-half times
that of the latter. and the net saving
to the shippers averaging 11.O9 mills
per ton per mile
The report says that the cost Of
transportation in 1904 was nearly two
billions of dollars less than it would
have been had the rates for 1870 still
prevailed
The passenger business of 1904 ex-
caeded that &c 1890 by n,re than *
per cents. while the freight increase
was 1926 per cent. In comparison
with the increase in wages Of railroad
employees from an average wage of
$56725 in 1900 to $630.S0 in 1904.
the report says that the service in
1904 was so much more efficiently
organized that the labor contributed
by the average employe accomplished
% per cent more in the movement
of passenger and "A per cent more
in the movement Of freight than in
1880.
The report gives the total railroad
capitalization June 80 1904, as $lO,-
71L794,07S, and says this amount is
4.74 per cent less than the CONNER
cial' value of the railways as esti-
mated by the census bureau.
I'm the face of the great improve
ment in railway property since 1890,
the report says. the relatively insig-
nificant increase of 535 per cent in
capitalization shows decided tendency
toward more careful methods of
financing these properties
Compared with railroad rates
abroad the report says:
THE figures in the foregoing are
undoubtedly significant They show
that American railways carry freight
for rates that average but STA per
cent of the average charged in
France 62.30 per cent of that in Ger
many: 60.92 per cent of that in Aus
tria; Gl.299 per cent of that in Hun
gary; about so per cent of that in
italy, and about 80 per cent Of that in
European Russia. Since 1890 Amer
lean rates have declined 1915 per
cent: Fernch rates 1854 per cent;
German rates 9.S per cent; Austrian
rates 9.34 per cent and Hungarian
rates 1914 per cent
AS to the increase in equipment the
report says that during the last four
teen years the increase in the number
of cars and locomotives have been
relatively much greater than the mile
age increase. Besides, both car sand
locomotives are now much larger
than formerly.