New-York tribune., 1908-09-17
READINGS YEAR.

The pamphIet report of the Reading Company,
the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company
and the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
Company for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1893.
has been issued The receipts of the railway
pany for year s42 664 595 against s4352SS6
the preceding year; operating expenses go 49,
2s6 comparing with s25 SS9,33l and net earnings,
ST. Dos 299 against s17 $50 6O5 in 1907. There was
surplus Of s6,345639. against s604425 in the pre-
ceding year The coal and iron company made net
earnings of s. 70961S, against s34n.795 in the year
ended June 60 1907. and earned surplus of S2G'524
against deficit of s71,4S2 in the preceding year
The net earnings of the Reading Company were
sse514S or s14092 larger than in 1907, and the sur
plus showed sl27.0s0 increase The total surplus OF
the three companies 49, 49, 753. comparing with
ss741 454 IN the preceding year, and now stands at
S27 ATS. The gross receipts Of the railway COM
pany decreased sS64.SH and the operating expenses
$a31, ,Oe5.
Merchandise traffic decreased from 24.I4314 tons
TO 192496s2 loss of 51646S2 tons, 2115 cent,
and the earnings therefrom decreased from Sl6S6O-
ITO s1302 926 loss of s2S5I2, or ia per cent
The number Of passengers decreased from 1880 S2S
to o. s4S 1914 loss of 6,022,1 ,164 20s per cent;
and the passenger decreased from s6399l l73
to s6 933 loss of SlS7 239, 293 per cent. The
losses in freight and passenger business. plus
loss of s. 1876 in mali receipts, were offset by an
of s02 T40 in miscellaneous transportation
revenue, by increase in "other income of s. 762.
057 which TO a large extent resulted from the
revision OF the classification of operating ex-
penses prescribed by the Interstate Commerce
Commission and by increase of s170.e9S in the
net earnings outside operations" The net
result of the operation OF the railway company for
the fiscal year, which S30l,2l4 better than for
the previous year, be considered as entirely
satisfactory the report says In view of the fact
during the last half of the last fiscal year the
depression IN the business of the industries upon
which this company relies much for its traffic
was unprecedented. The report says in regard TO
the 2-cent fare law:
I'm the test suit instituted by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company the Supreme Court of the state
decided the unco Institutional to that COM
pany The commonwealth would not accept that
decision as applicable to the Philadelphia 81 Read
ing Railway Company. and every effort has been
made TO have the suit instituted by this company
brought TO trial. For various reasons beyond the
control Of this company tho trial OF the suit has
been delayed. 1t is hoped early IN the present
we are compelled to suffer heavy loss in pas
senger revenue which results from this unreason-
able reduction OF fares
During the year ended June 20, 1905. the total pro-
duction of anthracite coal from the lands owned
leased and controlled by the Philadelphia Read
ing Coal and Iron Company 1874 81 tons
compared with II 655 100 mined during pre-
ycus year, increase OF 259 O5S tons, :s22 per
cent. The cost OF coal mined and purcha se. dur
ing the year L5 cents ton less than for the
previous year, and the price realized all sizes
22 cents ton higher. making total in
In the net amount realized OF 81 cents q