The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-20
STATISTICS OFFERED
DISPLAY BIG PROFITS
Committee Of Shippers Gives Figures
on Railroad Income and Expenses
to Show That Plan to Raise
Rates Is Wrong.

u
proposed general advance in freight
rates will be disturbing to the existing
business conditions and that such an
advance is not justified and will be
vigorously contested by the leading
shippers organizations of the country
was the tenor of reasolutions adopteo
late today at a meeting of represen-
tatives OF shippers and other CONNER
cial organizations from many parts Of
the country, held in the Sinton hotel
here. The day was devoted to dis
cussion of the freight situation and 1t
was determined to at once inaugurate
a strong movement in opposition to
the contemplated advance in rates. a
committee being created whose duty it
shall be to propagate a campaign OF
education of the public on the freight
rates and to have all of the powers of
the general conference in dealing with
that subject.
Resolutions Adopted.
The resolutions adopted were as fol-
lows:
whereas, as Mr.. C. c. Mccain,
chairman of the Trunk Line associa-
tion, composed of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad Buffalo. Rochester and
Pittsburg railroad, and Central Rail-
road of New Jersey, Delaware and Hud-
son company the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western railroad, Erie rail-
road, Grand Trunk railway, Lehigh Val
ley railroad, New York Central and
Hudson River railroad, New York, On
tario and Western railway, Pennsyl-
vania railroad, Philadelphia and Read
ing railway, Western Maryland rail-
road and West Shore railroad has COM
piled pamphlet entitied~-Fhe Dimin-
ished Purchasing Power of Railway
Iarnings;' and
Whereas. said railroads have as
sumed the responsibility for said
pamphlet by circulating same gener-
ally among the public; and
> Whereas. the avowed purpose of cir
culating said pamphlet is to educate
the public; and
Whereas, the true purpose of said
pamphlet is to prepare the public fol
an advance In freight raets; and
Whereas, said pamphlet is biased
Election of the truth bearing on the
situation by omitting, among other
things, the following facts and fig
ures:
Facts and Figures.
"The income per mile of railroads IN
the United States for 1907 exceeded that
of 1897 by s1,594,o0c. an increase Of
345 per cent
THE net income per mile of roads
in group l New England) for 1907 ex.
ceeded by $74O that for 1Ss7-an in
crease of Al per cent
The net income per mile of roads
in group (Trunk line territory fol
1907 exceeded that for 1897 by $2525-
an increase of 10 per cent.
The net income per mile of roads il
group &C. +. A. territory for 100,
exceeded that for 1897 by $l605-an In.
crease of 521 per cent
The surplus from operating expense.
of roads in group for 1907 was s25s
per mile greater than the net income OF
the roads in said group for 1897
"The net income of all the railroad
in the United States for 1907 was $44s,-
461.1SS; for 1897, ss1,257,5O6; excess
1907, over 1897, s368,203,6S2; an in
crease of 453 per cent
'The surplus from operations of all N.
railroads in the United States for l9O
exceeded the net income for 1897 by $780,
065, ,7S5.
THE amount of stock paying dividend,
Increased from 81, ,603, ,549, ,978 in 1897 to s4
54S, 1866 ,202 in 1907, an increase of S. S45, ,2O6
225.
The rate of dividend on stock in
creased from 5.43 per cent in 1897 to 6.2
per cent in 1907. an increase of a..
per cent
The revenue per train mile, all trains
of the railroads in the United States fo
1897 was S1383.
I'm 1907 the profit per train mile, al
trains, exceeded the profit for 1897 b,
25.9 cents per mile, an increase of 81
per cent.
Document Is Condensed.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by ship
pers from all sections OF the United
States in conference assembled:
First. that as said pamphlet does no
set forth all the essential facts and Il
biased and misleading said document II
not proper one for educating the pub
lie. and does not fairly set forth tn,
full information to which the public Il
entitled
any general advance in freight rates
but on the contrary, call for a reduction
thereof.
Third, that an executive committee O
this conference be, and the same is here
by created, with all the powers of thi
conference. and with full power to ac
during any recess thereof.
Fourth. that said executive commit
tee be- and it is hereby instructed t,
prepare full and complete answer t,
said pamphlet or other similar pamphlets
and to circulate the same for the edu
cation of the public, as to the tru,
(freight rate) situation and for the furthe
purpose of correcting any erroneous I'm
preston that may have resulted from sale
pamphlet, or other pamphlets of sin1ila
nature.
Fifth, that as any proposed genera
advance in freight rates will disturb ex
listing business conditions, the same Il
hereby opposed and will be resisted b.
all legitimate means.
s'eixth. that when this conference ad
journs It does SO subject TO the call o
the chairman"