Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-18
OVER One BILLION
Total Income Of Nations Railroads
Reaches Enormous Sum.
BIG INCREASE IN TRACKAGE
Nearly Eleven Thousand Miles Con.
structed During the Year.
EARNINGS AND EXPENSES GROW
Former Reaches Total of Over Two
and Half Billions.
MILLION AND HALF EMPLOYEES
Average IL 735 for Each Hundred
Miles Operated, Being an Increase
EARNINGS AND EXPENSES GROW
MILLION AND HALF EMPLoYE;
Average IL 735 for Each Hundred
Miles Operated, Being an Increase
of Fifty-One Per Hundred
Miles.

WASHINGTON, July H-Railroad profits, ]
the total earnings and expenses, and the
complete statistical story of railroad opera
ton are given in a compilation Of the avail
able figures for 2-44O roads of the United
States for the lear ending June 80. 1907,
made by the Interstate Commerce COM
mission. The report shows during this
year an increase in trackage of 10, so
niles, an increase in passenger revenue Of
{646I376O, an increase in freight revenue
Of SlS3, 265.99s, with a total increase of rev.
enue in gross earnings over the previous
year Of $26334O,411.
Net earnings of the roads amounted to
SOIs9,76i. exceeding the amount for the
Irevious year by S51.7Ol,S ,S6s. The net earn
ings available for dividends for this period
the commission figures, was S449, ,46l. .1ss.
The total income Of the nations roads, a
GLIDING the net earnings and income from
lease, Investments and miscellaneous
sources. was S1l27, ,173,7OS
complete statement of earnings and ex-
penses is as follows:
Earnings and Expenses.
The gross earnings of the railways in the
United States from the operation of 227..
{5i8 miles of line were for the year end
ing June 30, 1907. $25Ss. los, ,57s. being $685.
$40 Ill greater than for the year 1906. Their
operating expenses were Sl74s,5l5,s14, or
sell .63S,5i3 more than in 1906. The follow
ing figures present a statement of gross
earnings in detail and show the increases
OF the several items over those of the
previous year: Passenger revenue, $685.
C0c,St3-increase. s54513, 76O; mail, $50 s7s 964-
increase. $3.OO7.511: express, 7.SS2. .9Sl-ln-
crease, S6,322,00l; other earnings from pas
senger service, $l2,67LS99-increase, 81 $780,
662; freight revenue, N,s23 65l es-ncrease,
ns,265,S4S; other earnings from freight
service, s6llS,64s-increase, $46S, ,426; other
earnings from operation. including un-
classified items, $74St6, lsS-increase, sl4,-
si2. 7OS. Gross earnings from operation per
mile of line averaged sl1 SSS, the correspond
ing average for the year 1906 being 1923
lees.
The operating expenses were assigned to
the four general classes as follows: For
maintenance OF way and structures, S3IS-
6ttsO7; mathematics OF equipment, s3Ss 061.-
rs; conducting transportation. S970 824,
general expenses. Sos 4O4.666i undistributed,
$J5l.BOo. Operating expenses averaged 1851
per mile OF line, this average showing an
increase Of S71b per mile in comparison
with the year 1906
Income from Operation.
The Income from operation, or the net
earnings of the railways amounted to
ss4p.bse 7e4. This. amount exceeds the cor
S5l,7O1 .s6s The net earnings per mile Of
line for tSH averaged 1905; for 1905. & s,54s.
ana for 1895, 63.lSa The amount OF income
attributable 20 Sourccs other than operation
was t2S8.bS3032. This amount includes the
following items: Income from lease of
road. tl2l, ,fO5, ,7S1; dividends on stocks owned
sss,EZ3. .S52; interest on bonds owned. S24,26l.-
o64, and. miscellaneous income. 44s.9O3, ,1B5.
Tie total income Of railways 6.lZl7a.7Os)
that Is, the net earnings and income from
lease, investments and miscellaneous
kouTess-is the smOunt from which fixei
and other charges against income are taken
to ascertain the sum available for divi-
dends Such deductions aggregated t577.-
Tl2,6ls. thus leaving t44s, ,461. lS the net
income for the year ending June 30 1907
available for DIVIDENDS or surplus.
Amount of Dividends.
The amount OF dividends declared during
the year under review dncudinE Ao,29T
representing other earnings to stockhold-
Srs) was s9OS,isT O24 leaving as the suprplus
rom the operations of the year ending
June 80, 1901 $iA.s2 2el The surplus from
operations as shown fIr the preceding year
was E12S3i,7e1, The amount OF deductions
from income as stated above, S6T7,Tl26ls,
Comprises these items; Salaries and main
tenanoe OF organization, Ss4s. SIS; interest
accrued on funded debt, Ss44,242, al; interest
on current liabilities, Sie,67l,6S2i rents paid
for lease Of roads, t12s 766, ,462; taxes tsO,-
Sls,ST5i permanent improvements charged
TO income aecount So, So, $50; other deduc-
tions, tss.s17s17
The preceding figures for the income and
the expenditures OF railway companies are
compiled from the annual reports OF leased
roads as well as OF operating roads. and
include depulicatlons in certain items OF in
come and also OF expenditures on account
Of that fact that. in general. the income
Of leased road is the rent which is re-
oeived from Its lessee. The statistical re-
port includes, however a summary which
presents an income account for all the
railways considered as a single system
from which intercorporate payments are
substantially eliminated.
The complete report includes a summary
showing the total taxes and assessments of
Ehe railways by states and territories. ana
also analysis showing the basis OF as
tessmeRt
Number OF EmpIOyes.
The number Of persons reported as on the
pay rolls Of the railways in the United
States on June 90 1897. was i,S72O74, which
Is equivalent to an average OF 7s6 employees
per 100 miles OF line. As compared with
the year 1905 these figures show an in
crease of l5o,Tis In the number OF employees,
or fifty-Ons psr 100 miles OF line. OF the
employees S.I0s were enEinsmen. 6e.Ssa fire
men, SSs69 conductors and 1884, 81 other
trainmsn. There we're 6Sll4 switch tenders.
crossing tenders and watchmeE The total
number Of railway employees. disregardins
small number not assigned. were appor-
toned among the four general divisions OF
railway employment as follows: For gen.
Nrai administration. 6.SS; for maintenance
u way and structures. 6sS.0Os; for main
lsnanco OF equipment S2lS. and for con-
lucting transportation. u2t66.
The report Includes summaries showing
the average daily compensation OF eighteen