The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-20
Passenger Revenue in Missouri
Showing Big Losses.
Analysis of July Figures Has
Been Started.
PARADOXICAL.
They Show More Tickets Sold,
But Less Money Taken In.
Other Items of Interest to
Railway People.

ST. Louis Aug. 2O.-The accounting
departments of the Missouri railroads
with headquarters in st. Louis are De-
ginning the preparation of ng-
ures showing the effect on traffic and
earnings of the lines under the 9O-day
trial of the 2-cent fare law. The show
ing, it is indicated by the figures al
ready at hand, will support the conten-
ton of the roads that the enforcement
OF the law means a heavy decrease in
revenue.
The figures in course of analysis and
tabuIation at present are those Tor the
month of July, which was not com
pletely under the 2-cenr fare law, as the
interstate traffic was not put on z
cent basis until July 19, though the IN
trastate traffic was put on that basis
before the month opened.
In a general way the figures as they
now stand indicate in nearly every
instance an increase of 80 to 40 per cent
in the number of tickets sold, While the
cash income has shown decrease OF
about 25 per cent. This SITUATION NAG
apparently been brought about by
growth in the shortest hauls, neighbor-
hood trips. etc, while there has not
been any increase in the long hauls,
from which the roads have heretofore
derived most of their passenger earn
ings.
In the case of one road, the figures
for the last week in July show a de-
trastate traffic of $40 900, approximately,
while the following week showed de-
crease of $4,000 in the same item, as
compared with the corresponding week
a wear ago. Another road shows from
figures at hand an increase of 40 per
cent in the number of tickets sold for
the month, while the cash earnings
were within a fraction of Is per cent
less than year ago. Sun anotner
road, one whose local traffic in Mis-
souri, is very light, most OF Its travel
being in and to other states, shows a
cash decrease of about pa per cent on
1ocal traffic.
loAees has not taken into account that
normal increase of traffic from year to
year of about 10 per cent is to be expect
ed, especially in prosperous times. IN
consequence, the railroad officials gen.
orally are OF the opinion that when the
figures for the entire ninety days are
made up they will show state of ar
fairs corroborating the contentious made
in court that the 2-cent law is conf1sca-
tory.
Inasmuch as the analysis of the fig
ures required to explain conditions un-
der the 2-cent law contemplateS condi- |
tions for which the bookkeeping Depart
ments of the roads were not preparedS
it will be a week or more before the fig
ures for July are fully digested. AS an
instance, heretofore the roads have not
separated the traffic of one state from
another. In order to make the proper
showing they must now not only show
the earnings on interstate traffic COM
pletely, but also the earnings within the
state from interstate traffic in the case
of travel from points within to points !
without the state and vice versa.
The complications are so great that |
the analysis will require, in interstate |
traffic, practically an accounting of each |
ticket separately before the true intra-:
state earnings can be determined