The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-24
EARNINGS OFFSET
BY BIC EXPENSES
Increase in Aprifs Gross Earn
ings Largest OF
Year.
ST. PAUL ONLY ONE TO
FAIL IN SCORING GAINS
Triffic Troubles Put Down Potts
Increases in Wages Reflected
in Reports.

NEW YORK, June 24-That the
perpendicular increase In wages by the
various railroads of the country is now
being reflected in net earnings is pretty
clearly shown by the April statements
Of earnings that are now at hand. The
inrease in April gross earnings was the
largest that has been reported for SIN
gle month of the current year, while
the improvement In net was the small
lest, operating expenses having risen to
such AN extent as to almost completely
wipe out the gross grains recorded.
The impression has gained consid-
cradle ground that the principal cause
for the unprecedented large increase
IN operating expenses was the fact that
the various roads had devoted consid-
erably more liberal amounts to main
tenance of property. The official figures
at hand. however, prove beyond a doubt
that the increase in operating costs
have been evenly distributed between
the maintenance and the transporta-
ton departments.
Choosing twelve Western roads--the
large systems only--the following table
shows their total increase In gross and
net earnings for each of the first four
months Of 1910 as compared with the
corresponding periods OF the year pre-
vious:
Gross inc. Net inc
January .s7.S75.459 sss25,7ss
February ....... s.443,3s6 1.211,323
March S.s16,T94 60s,9S2
April ..,....,....,. s.75S.714 SOC, 26S
Increase in Expenses Shown.
In the following table will be noted
the increases in maintenance and trans
portation expenses by the same twelve
companies for April and the ten months
ended April 80 last
Traffic and
transpor-
| Maintenance tation
inc. inc.
| April ..........,..$3 ,955,9ss $4,206,345
Ten months ..., 80 o20.s57 2s.e7s,o22
The foregoing figures are extremely
significant as they furnish the basis
OF computation for the majority of
railroads throughout the United States
IN the respect mentioned. II will be
noted that In January an actual loss
was suffered by the twelve cou1pa MES
In net earnings, as compared with in
ereases in the three subsequent months,
put when consideration Is given to the
TACT that the majority of the large
| Western and Northwestern companies
were completely tied up by billiards,
extreme cold weather landslides, etc,
FOR long periods at a. time, the show
ing lis even more favorable for that
period than might have been expected
In February, operating conditions
were most favorable so that IL was
possible to show a small improvement,
In net. but In March and April. when
the effect of the wage increases was
felt. the net Improvement by the twelve
roads chosen for the compilation was
almost NIL. In fact, some of the re-
porting companies suffered losses IN
net during April while the Northern
Pacific and Atchison companies have
reported net declines in each month
since the beginning OF 1910.
st. Paul Only Loser.
Each month since the beginning n
1910. with the exception OF the Chica go
. Milwaukee and St Paul Railway com
pany. all Of the companies reviewet
, scored gains in gross earnings for eaol
of the four months ended April S0tf
last. In January the St Paul sustaine-
loss in fross OF approximately s55, 800
! Nearly all the companies mentioned re
corded liberal Gross gains In each O
the four months, prominent amone
which are the changes by the Union ant
southern Pacific roads, the Great Nor
thern, the Chicago, Burlington & Quin
cy, while, with the exception of tn.
Wabash and Denver Il Rio Grand,
companies. the April gains were ca
! tremely noteworthy.
, Following are the gross increases b,
he companies mentioned for each O.
three months OF 1910, as com pared will
the corresponding respective periods o.
the year previous: