The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-01-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Washington, Jan. 13.-The interstate
commerce commission today transmit
ted to the congress it's report for the
year 1908.
The report states thai the temporary
financial depression from which the
country is now emerging resulted in
the diminution of railway
considerably below the high point,
reached In 1907, the banner year in,
American railroad history in respect of
gross n net earnings, as well as vol.
ume of traffic, and that in several In
stances the necessity for placing rail-
road properties in the hands of receiv-
ers was wholly or partially due to the
serious and unexpected decrease in
earnings.
In View, however, of the widely cir
culated reports that the loss inflicted
pom the railroads was so severe as to
warrant universal advances in, rates or
reduction in wages, or both, 1t Is inter
esting to note that the gross earnings
of all railroads for 1908, although S164,-
464,941 less than the gross earnings for
1907, We're S9S,S75,470 in excess of the
gross earnings for 1906 n $342,15S,-
231 in excess of those for 1905. and that
the net earnings for 1908, although
S111,051,006 less than for 1907 and $59.-
349,13S less h a for 1906, We're $685.
504 in excess of those for 1905. These
I1SuTeS lnQ1CatG UldL Whatever may
have been the fact In individual cases,
the railroads of the country, as a
whole, did not suffer so severity in
comparison with years of normal traf-
tic n business conditions as may
have generally been supposed. The
recent change in accounting methods
MAJ affect to some extent the accuracy
of these comparisons, but it is believed
hat the variations due to that cause
did not materially alter the general re-
suit. 1t is pointed out that a continu-
ing business depression could not be
held to justify the maintenance Of par
ticular rates which are unreasonable
in themselves or unduly discriminatory
since the right to equal treatment al
reasonable rates does not depend upon
the financial condition of the carrier.
Safety Appliances.
With the possible exception of power
brakes the condition of safety appli-
ances is steadily improving. 1t is not
clearly understood why the main.
tenance Of the brakes does not keel
pace with progress of Improvement o.
other details of equipment, but 1t i.
probably attributable to the following
situation: The sole requirement of the
present law in regard to power brake:
is that no train subject to the presenl
act shall contain less than Is per cen
Of cars equipped with power brakes il
operative condition. Cars not exceed
Ing 20 per cent Ol Tie lOldi III lIe tIdli
may have their brake equipment ecu
OUT of the connection, and no liabilitJ
!, ensues to the carrier if the remaining
brakes are sufficient to control tn,
speed of the train.
The report has in past years includ
!. ed a statement of the operating rev
enues and operating expenses Of rail
ways for the fiscal year ending June 3
Immediately preceding it's date of issue
! such statement having been compiled
from the annual reports of the carrier
in advance of their final compilation
: The bureau of statistics and account
, has this year substituted for such
preliminary report a compilation base,
l upon monthly reports of revenues IN,
expenses received for the u month
ending June 80, 1908. This report show
/. that on a basis of average mileage op
! Grated during the Year of 225,121 miles
: the freight revenue was Sl,66o, 1884.
passenger revenue $3.50, 905, 100. all othe
evenue from transportation $l6I,S73, ~!
Z revenue from operations other tina
transportation $24,6ST, 932, making tota
operating 2,424,6 $780, 37. Q
$1O.722 per mile OF line. The total OPP
n Grating expenses Were $1,695,1 ol. S79, o
: $7,496 per mile of line, leaving the he
e operating revenue $729,53S ,758, or 1925
per mile of lnie. Deducting from TIL
net operating revenue taxes in the SUI
Of $S3. S60,516, the net operating in
come for the year ended June 80, $780,
was S645, SIS, 242 for the entire mileag,
/, or $2,S55 per mile of line. The ratio {
4 operating expenses to earnings a
49, ~, Hls o,N0 ,,4 u-a c, GO OF ,Nhr 90 ~