The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-09-25
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SPOKANE LETTER
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spokane, Wash, Sept. 24.-Sbin-
pers In Spokane and throughout the
ihiahd Empire, where enormous ton.
| "gge In grains, fruits, timber and
numerals is offered to railroads, be-
heVe that the actGon of the state
railroad commission of Washington
IN ordering the Northern Pacnfc rail
way to reduce its freight rates on
grain to 81 1-2 per cent of the tar-
III published on June 80, 1903 will
nave a salutaryy effect all over tho
Northwest Thorugh the cut of 10 1 .
per cent applies only on the North
ern Poetic main line in the state.
It will save the shippers from ono to
one and half cents bushcl or
between s35O,OO0 and 100000 a
year
The reduction, based on the find
ing that the company's profits are
more than Sl,0O0,000 pear exclu-
| slVeiy on state business over per
cent annual revenue on the invest
ment, is taken to mean that inquiry
may be made into other tonnage, the
carrier charges on which are de-
clared to be unreasonable, excess
i've and exorbitnt. The significant
portion of the commissions findings
Is best told in its own words, in
part as follows;
we have found the value of the
Northern Pacific Railways companys
property In the sthate used for the
public to s111,374,95o, divided as fol-
lows: s45,703,73O for state use, and
s65,671 ,219 for interstate use.
I'VE have found as facts that the
net earnings of the company from
state business were $d,976,273 for
1905, $5,174,0i7 for 1906. s5,5OO,-
373 for 1907. and s6,223, 9i3 for
| 1908.
i 1.-THE earnings of the Washington
g. Columbia River branch are not in.
cluded in the earnings for 1905-6-I,
so the value Of the property used
| would be corespondingly reduced
The value of It's property used for
state business during i905-G-7 would
not exceed $42,500,o00.
THE estimated net earnings of the
company for state business for 1908
exceeds $S,450,000, thus showing a
net return from state business for the
five years under consideration Of Ill
/ per cent, 12.17 per cent, 1917 per
cent, 1862 per cent. and 1851 per
cent, respectively. That this return
with the percentage increasing yearly
Is exclusive is clearly evident"
The finding Slows that grain
amounted TO 1897 per cent of the
total state tonnage carried by the COM
pany over its lines in Washington
and 45.O7 per cent of the total ten
miles, and furnished $3.50 per cent
of the tItal state revenue received
by the company In 1908. Sixteer
million bushels OF grain was carried
by the company. Tne cost of move
ment, exclusive of taxes, interest OF
dividends. was approximately $500
a ton, while the average RECEIPT pei
ton was approximately $3.O2, tn'
moving cost being approximately 5Z.VI
per cent of the gross earnings. th'
operating expenses of thu road
all its business being 54.11 por cen
of the gross receipts.
Carload merchandise constituted
i1.54 per cent of the state tonag'
and 14.S4 percent of the ton miles
while Il contributed 1916 per cen
OF the total state earnings, and thu
cost of moving was only $3.50 pc
cent of the gross earnings. Les
than carload merchandise constitut
ed 3.83 per cent OF the Tonnage, 3.5'
per cent of the ton miles. and con
tributed 1926 per cent of the tota
state earnings. the cost OF MOVING
being 5l.93 per cent OF the gros
earnings therefrom.