The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-04
WHAT ATTITUDE
MUST Be TAKEN?
RAILROAD LEGISLATION WILL AT
Feet GREAT ARMY OF EN-
PLOYEs.
ENORMOUS INVESTMENT
MORE THAN MILLION AND HALF OF
MEN EMPLOYED AND WAGES
MORE THAN BILL
LION.
BY Victor Elliott

| By Victor Elliott,
| WASHINGTON. August "A fair
| idea OF the great amount of capital
| Invested and the magnitude of the
railroad business In this country can
De gained from recent statement
| OF the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion containing an abstract of rail-
| way statistics from the twenty-third
annual report of the commission
| The summaries show that on June
80, 1910. there was a total single
| track mileage in the United States
OF 240.43S miles, an increase of 81
/ $40 miles over the corresponding
| mileage at the close of the previous
| year. The number of railroads
| operating this mileage in the United
| States was 2,196. During the year
railway companies owning s,614
! miles of line were organized, merged
or consolidated.
| 1t appears that there were 5S,947
| locomotives in the service of the rail-
roads at the close of the fiscal year
on June so. 1910. OF this number
1860 We're classified as passenger,
and 1892 as freight, 9.1l5 as switch
| ing. and 1,1so were unclassified.
The n,nber of cars necessary to
| carry on an enormous business of the
! railroads was 2,290,331. OF this num-
| Der 4l,095 were passenger cars and
more than 100000 were freight
| cars. This shows that the railroads
| depend largely upon freight traffic
| for their earnings. The average
number of locomotives per 1000
miles was 245, and the number of
| cars per 1000 miles, $50.
Army of Men.
<.f ENn
| size of the standing army of the
| United States is on the pay rolls of
| the railroads. There were on June
| 80, 1910. 1,699.420 on the pay rolls.
| To these men a sum almost beyond
| comprehension was paid in salaries.
| The total amount of wages reported
| to have been paid to the employees
| of the railroads during the year 1910
| was s1,143,725, 3o6 this sum is larger
| than the gold reserve of the United
| States.
| Is it any wonder that the govern
ment should wish to carefully con-
slider any legislation affecting so
great an interest The abstract does
/ not pretend to show the total value
| of the railroad property.
A glance over the past history or
railroads is interesting. At the time
of building the first railroads in the
United States the government did Its
utmost to aid in the furthering of the
construction Of more roads. 1t grant
ed land to the railroads. gave them
rights of way. and made innumerable
concessions to them. To-day how
very different is the attitude of the
government howard the railroads !?
| The railroads have grown under the
| favor of the government until the
| government need no longer aid and
| protect them. They have grown so
| in power that government regulation
Is common talk and the subject OF
political agitation.
In Every Section.
There can he no denying the fact
that without the rapid growth of
railroads the United States would
not have its present powerful COM
mercial standing. The growth of the
railroads was the growth of the coun-
try The evil of the railroads arises
from the fact that they have outgrown
the country. There is scarcely town
OF 5000 or more Inhabitants that
does not boast one railroad or more
The railroads have hold on every
section of the country. They can
make or unmake town or sections.
All that is necessary for them to do
In order to punish some community
make discriminating rates against It
In favor OF some other place. and 1t
Is not long before the inhabitants
begin TO feel power of the railroads.
On June 90, 1910. the par value
OF the amount of railway capital out
standing, according to the abstract of
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
was slS,4IT. I32,23S. or this amount
s14.33s,575.94 was outstanding in
the hands Of the public. The amount
Of dividends declared during the year
was $406.771.A 16.
The total number OF passengers car
ried during the year 1910 was s71,-
6s3,1ss. The corresponding number
for the previous year was S91, 472,425,
The number Of passengers carried
per mile Of road was 13S. $50.
Freight Traffic.
The. volume of the freight traffic
Is almost unbeiieva Bile. The alb
stract shows that during the year
the total freight tonnage was 1.S49,-
s0o,1 tons. These figures represent
a large gain over the previous year.
The total revenue Of the railroads
for 1910 amounted to s2.750.s67.435
for 1910 amounted to $2.750.s67.435.
More than one half OF this amount
was derived from freight traffic. There
was derived from passenger traffic
s62s,992.473. The next largest source
of revenue of the railroads In the
order named were mall. express and
switching. More than four and one
half millions Of dollars was expended
by the travelling public for the use
OF parlor and chair cars. The Unit
ed States paid to the railroads for
transportation OF its mails during the
year 1910 s5s.s13,SsS.
Operating expenses OF the railroads
for the year were $1,Sz2,630. OF this
sum $36S,507. 102 was spent for main
tenance. For equipment the railroads
expended $413,10S,929. The operating
expense per mile averages 1854.
The average person never considers
the great 4cost of oref atfi1g fafff-
road, or what tremendous business
it must necessarily handle to make
profit on the capital invested.
Railroad legisia ton Is bound to play
an important part In the politics Of
this country in the future. There
are many men who look upon the
railroads as q menace to the freedom
Of the country. There are three meth
DDS OF legislation proposed by the
politicians--gQvernm ownership,
government operation and government
regulation. The first two have many
followers. The third seems to be
the most practical solution Of the
problem. Nearly every one comedies
that some kind OF regulation is neces-
sary.