The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-11
RAILWAYS AREN'T
!. so VERY BAD OFF
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM.
MISSION REPORT SHOWS
THEIR NET EARNINGS
ss4s,67S,242 FOR YEAR 1908
Accidents Are Fewer-Many Auto.
matte Stop Inventions Examined,
Though Very Few Are
Practicable.


Washington, Jan. 1.-THE inter
state commerce commission on Mon
day transmitted to congress It's report
for the year 1908. The report states
that the temporary financial depres
sion from which the country is now
emerging resulted in the dimFnution
Of railway revenues considerably be-
low the high point reached in 1907.
the banner year in American railroad
history In respect to gross and net
earnings, as well as volume of traffic
In view OF the widely circulated re-
ports that the loss inflicted upon the
railroads was 50 severe as to warrant
universal advances in rates or reduc.
tion In wages. or both II ts interest
ing to note that the gross earnings of
all railroads for 1905 although $l64-
464,941 less than the gross earnings
for 1907. were $9S 47O in excess of
the gross earnings for 1906 and $342,.
15S,231 In excess of those for 1905,
and that the net earnings for 1908, al.
though $l11 ,051 ,0O6 less than for 1907
and 9,349, 1873 less than for 1906,
were s37 1858 ,504 in excess of those for
1905 These figures indicate that
whatever may have been the fact In
individual cases, the railroads of the
country, as a whole, did not suffer so
severely in comparison with years Of
normal traffic and business conditions
as may have generally been supposed.
In the year ending June 80, 1908,
there was a remarkable falling off in
the number Of casualties to both pas
sengers and employees, due to some ex.
tent to diminished traffic on railroads
generally. The number OF passengers
killed in train accidents was 165 In
1905 as compared with 410 In the pre-
vious year. The number Of employees
killed in coupling accidents shows a
reduction of 20 per cent from the pre-
vious record Attention is called to
the necessity of legislation authoriz-
Ing an investigation, under direction
Of the commission, of train accidents,
for the purpose of obtaining light on
the question of preventive measures
for the future. With the possible ex-
ception of power brakes the condition
OF safety appliances is steadily i'm
proving.
The block signal and train control
board has devoted it's time mainly 10
the subject of automatic stops. The
board has examined descriptions of
B71 inventions and alleged inventions.
Very few of these proposed devices
have been actually constructed, and
IWT gaIr
have been found by the board to be of
sufficient merit 70 warrant encourage
ment.
The commission recommended the
adoption by all carriers in the United
States of bill of lading which had
been agreed upon by joint commit
tee OF carriers and shippers, and sub
stantially all OF the leading carriers In
the United States have already
adopted the new bill. This bill Is CON
cededly a great improvement upon the
bills heretofore In general use.
The enforcement OF the act by
means of criminal prosecutions still
continues TO be necessary. Since De
cember /, 1906, 46 indictments for CIV
Ing or receiving rebates have been
returned.
The ruling OF the circuit court OF
appeals of the Third circuit that the
commodities clause of the act is un.
constitutional has served TO embLrrass
and delay the fight against discrimina-
ton. A considerable number of car
Riers are owners of and dealers In
commodities carried by them Such
carriers succeed In practically every
case In monopolizing or at least dom
mating the markets in which they
deal. The commodities clause by
compelling carriers to confine them
selves TO the transportation business
promises TO give many shippers free
dom from discrimination.
On a basis of average mileage oper-
ated during the year OF 226.l2l miles
the freight revenue was 81 sos. ,842,
passenger revenue $566, ,9O5 lO9, all
other revenue from transportation
1857 1878 ,T95, revenue from operations
other than transportation $24, ,6s7 ,932.
making total operating revenues g.,
424. .640, 1897, or S10732 per mile of line.
The total operating expenses were
kl,695lQ1 ,S79, or S7496 per mile Of
line. leaving the net operating revenue
S729, ,53s, 1858, or 1926 per mile OF line.
Deducting from the net operating rev.
enue taxes in the sum OF SS3 $780, SIG,
the net operating income for the year
ended June 30. 1908, was $6i5, ,67S, ,242
for the entire mileage, or $2,S55 per
mile OF line The ratio of operating
expenses TO earnings as shown by
ALI- ......-..l no. 90 OF ,.nr .nnI