The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-03-25
MUCH IMPROVED
IS SITUATION
WITH RESPECT TO RAILROADS
AND INDUSTRIES THROUGH
OUT THE COUNTRY.
INCREASED BUSINESS
Done BY Nearly All Lines-lnterstate
Commerce Commissioner Makes
Report Giving Comparative
Figures.

Washington, d. c., March 24-Every
indication points to an Improvement
generally In the railroad and indus
trial situation of the country accord.
ing to reports made by the great rail
way systems of America to the Inter
state Commerce Commission. These
reports are to the effect that while
the railroads suffered to some extent
by what has come to be referred to as
the October panic the loss was by
no means so serious as generally has
been supposed.
IL appears from the reports that tho
effect was felt particularly by the
eastern lines and by the lines of the
southeastern part of the country, a
few of which were embarrassed not
only by falling off of revenues but
by their inability to obtain ready cash
with which to carry on improvements
which they had begun while the west
ern lines and the trans-continental
roads have mot suffered materially
from the financial depression. The
figures available to the Interstate
Commerce Commission indicate also
that the general condition in the coun-
try improving materially, with pros
pect that it soon will be normal or
better
Franklin X. Lane, Pacific coast
member of the Interstate Commerce
,i.r ri hac mn He rQrpful
lysis of the figures submitted by the
railroads themselves to the commits
sicn. Mr.. Lane was asked what loss
the railroads of America had sustain
ed from the October panic" He re.
piled that the railroad situation the
country over is not imminently ser
ious one at the present time.
There are no figures accessible by
which d definite answer to your ques
ton can be given,' continued Commits
soner Lane. "Frcm the figures avail
able to the commission, however, 1t
does not appear that taking the
country as a whole, the revenues OF
the railroads have fallen off to the eX'
tent that generally is believed. The In
terstate Commerce Commission now
calls upon the carriers, subject to the
Act to Regulate Commerce for month
" reports of their revenues and opeT'
ating expenses. Such reports began
with the month of July last, and
have the figures compiled by Prof.
Henry &. Adams, our statistician, as
to a number of systems which may be
taken as representative of the railroad
systems Of the entire country. These
systemI are
New York, New Haven and Hart
ford
New York Central
Baltimore and Ohio.
Pennsylvania, east and west of
PittsburL,
Southern Railway.
Louisville and Nashville.
Rock Island.
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe.
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul.
Northwestern.
Southern Pacific.
Great Northern.
Northern Pacific.
During the three months July Au'
gust and September the total oper-
ating revenues of these roads amount
ed to s399000,000 for the panic
months of October, November and De
cember the total revenue was 1916,
OO0.00 The freight revenues of the
systems named were. for the first
quarter, 264,O0O.0OO, and for the sec
ond quarter, 259.O0O000.
The freight revenues for November
were larger than those for July or
September.
Those systems during the last six
months of 1907 received from passen-
gre and freight revenues grand total
of s775. 100000, which is s54,000,00
more than they received for the same
period in the preceding year 1906;
and their net income from operation
n 1907 was s14.000,00O more than in
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