Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-24

freight revenues In December than
In July or September; and the South
em Pacifc's December freight revc
nues were but few thousand dollars
less in that month than In any other
month excepting October and Novem-
Der. We find. therefore, no alarming
condition presented us TO the trans
continental lines.
Figures on Eastern Roads.
Coming this side of the Rocky
Mountains VIC see that the Rock Is
land. notwithstanding the state legis.
lation to which 1t has been subjected,
Increased its revenues during The last
half of 1907 over those of 1906 by over
$3,000,000 Tho whole of It's net in.
come from operation. $l7,000.000 as
over a million dollars less than for
the corresponding six months of 1906.
Tho Chicago. Milwaukee n st. Paul
shows decrease of approximately
100000 In operating revenues. and
the Northwestern system an increase
of about the Same amount; although
the Milwaukee's net income was larg
or in 1907 than in 1906.
siOFluE SNill lullutI tNSlWulu lnlO
Trunk Line territory between Chicago
and the Atlantic seaboard. we discov-
or that the New York Central, the
Baltimore & Ohio, and the Pennsyl-
vania Lines. both east and West of
Plttsburg. increased their total rove
nucs for the freight and passenger
traffic in the July December period of
1907 over that of 1906; and as to both
the New York Central and the Penn
sylvania Lines tho net income from
operation was greater In 1907 than for
tho corresponding period OF the year
previous. Tho RETURNS from those
ronds Indicate. however, that the pan
ic had It's center In their territory. MS
there Ia n more notable falling off In
revenues from traffic In this group
during the panic months than on any
other excepting the Southern roads.
THE single New England road TAX
on as an illustration, the New York.
New Haven & Hartford. shows an in
crease Of over million dollars In
gross revenues and decrease OF
about S250,00O in tho net.
Tho two Southern roads, the Lou
lsville & Nashville and the Southern,
increased their total revenues from
traffic, their total operating cXpenses,
and also their net income from oper.
alton, over tho corresponding half
year OF 1906.
Therefore, viewing the country as
whole, from West TO East and from
North to South. tho outlook for the
railroads Of tho United States. aa
shown by their own figures. Ia not so
dis1uleting as has hoen supposed: and
these figures, II must 10 remembered
include at least two months after the
panic began In New York, during q
greater portion OF which time banks
would not make loans or discounts
and railroads in many parts of the
country would not receive checks In
payment of freight.
although the returns to the COM
mission for January have not yct
been tabulated It is probable that
they Will show that conditions have
been worse than In December; but
this Is also to be borne In mind. that
the month of January Is generally the
slackcst month during the year. and
February Is also poor. There Ia no
doubt, individual instances I'm which
inc revenues OF roads have seriously
declined during the past three months
over corresponding periods for sever
al years past; but there arc also In
dividual Instances In which, singular
to say. the last three months have
been rs good MS any corresponding
three months IN other years, and in
one case, the Oregon Railroad & Nav.
iEation Co, tho commission has been
officially Informed that the past three
months have been the lost In the
roads entire history.
There can be no question but that
within the past three weeks there
has been strong upward tendency
III freight revenues. a greater vol.
umo of traffic Is moving today than
has been moved At any time during
the past Two. and perhaps, three
months The figures OF tho Amerl-
can Railway Association show that
there is less surplus of cars at this
time than at any period since the
3Oth OF October. This promises an
early return TO more normal condi-
lions, and railroad men generally ara
more optimistic than they have been
| since the Knickerbockcr Trust CO
closed It's doors. hut the increase
from siS3.000,000 in 1906 to S523OOO,.
900 in 1907, on the systems will:
which have dealt. still leaves a
larger net income for 1907 than for
1906 by nearly $ii,O00.00o."