Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-03-24
RAILWAYS SHOW
MORE PROSPERITY
Interstate Commerce Commission
Says Business is Improving

4
generally in the railroad and indus
trial situation OF the country accord
ing to reports made by the great
railway systems Of America to the
interstate commerce commission.
These reports are 70 the effect that
while the railroads suffered to some
extent by what has come to be re-
ferred to AZ the October panic" the
loss was by no means 50 serious as
generally has been supposed.
1t appears from the reports that
the effect was felt particularly by the
eastern lines and by the lines in the
southeastern part OF the country. q
few OF which were embarrassed not
only by a falling on Of revenues. but
by their inability to obtain ready
cash with which 70 carry on improve
ments which they had begun, while
the western lines and the transcon-
tinental roads have not suffered ma
terialIy from the financial depression.
The figures available 70 the interstate
commerce commission indicate also
that the general condition in the
country is improving materially. with
a prospect that II soon will be nor
NAL or better
Lane Analyses Situation.
Franklin X. Lane, Pacific coast
member OF the interstate commerce
commission. has made careful
analysis OF the figures submitted BY
the railroads themselves to the COM
mission. Mr.. Lane was asked what
loss the railroads OF America had
sustained from the October Danic."
He replied that the railroad situation
the country over Is not q serious one
at the present time.
There are no figures accessible
by which a definite answer to your
question can be given" continued
Commissioner Lane. From the ng-
ures available to the commission.
however, II does not appear that. TAX
ing the country as a whole. the rev.
enues OF the railroads have fallen on
to the extent that generally Is be-
lieved, The interstate commerce
commission now calls upon the car.
riers subject to the act 70 regulate
commerce for monthly reports Of
their revenues and operating eK-
Denses. Such reports began with the
month OF July last, and / have the
figures complied by Professor Henry
C. Adams. our statistIcian. az 70 a
number of systems which may be
taken as representative Of the rail-
road systems Of the entire country
These systems are:
New York. New Haven 4 Hart
ford, New York Central. Baltimore 4
Ohio. Pennsylvania. east and west OF
Pittsburg; Southern railway. Louis
Vile 4 Nashville. Rock Island. Atchi-
son. Topeka & Santa Fe. Chicago.
Milwaukee & ST. Paul. Chicago q
Northwestern. Southern Pacific, Great
Northern, Northern Pacific
During the three months July.
August and September. the total OPP
Grating revenues OF these roads
amounted TO t3ss. 200. 600; for the
panic months Of October. November
and December the total revenue was
t376. 900 900 The freight revenues
OF the aystems named were. for the
first quarter. 1894. O0o. 900. and for
the second quarter. e25s. 0O0. 600.
The freight revenues for November
were larger than those for July or
September.
Net InoOme Increasing.
These systems during the last slx
months OF 1907 received from pas
senger and freight revenues a grand
total Of SITS ,000. 900. which Is asa
600. 600 more than they received for
the same period in the preceding
year 1906; and their net income
from operation In 1891 was 1000
900 more than IN 1906. These fg.
ures certainly do not indicate that.
either owing 20 legislation or the
panic. the railroads OF the country
as whole have been put in financial
jeopardy. Il 10 true that during 1897
there vas a great increase in oper-
atinE expenses owing 70 general In
creAses In wages: but. allowing for
such Increase. the larger volume Of
trafic and greater revenue derived
therefrom yielded a larger net re
turn to the railroads"