The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-23
ROADS OPERATING
IN ALABAMA HAVE
PROSPEROUS YEAR
Total Income Last Year
$9,441, 1867, Representing
Greatest in History
ONLY FOUR PERSONS
KILLED IN ACCIDENTS
Tonnage Past Year Greater Than
Ever Before and Earnings From
Operation Show Substan-
tial Increase

tlal Increase
| Montgomery, January Especially
Railroads operating in Alabama received
a total income last year of $s,44l ,367, req
resenting the greatest earnings in Ala
bama railroad history, according TO the
annual report Of the state railroad COM
mission, filed today in the office of Gov
erEor O'Neal The report of the railroad
commission covers the year ending June
| 30, 1912.
| According to the commissions report,
the railroads operating in the state had
most satisfactory year, their tonnage
| being greater than ever before, and their
earnings from operation showing a SUBJ
stantial increase.
| With toal main line mileage in the
state of 1900 miles, the average net earn
ings per mile was s2,O52. The average net
earnings per mile in 1911, according to the
report, was 81 ,7SS.
An interesting feature OF the report is
in reference to the number of accidents
during the yea~. The report shows that
L, ,427, ,95S passengers were carried during
the year. of which number 200 were in
jured and killed in accidents The num-
Der of passengers carried in 1912 was 16,-
ao2 in excess of the number carried in
1911.
Increase in Mileage
According to the commissions report the
main line mileage was increased during
the year 6S miles, which gives a total mile
age in the state. including siding and yard
tracks, of 6,274.15 miles.
Formal hearings in "a cases were had by
the commission during the year, all Of
which were disposed of by orders. A.
cording to the commission, there were
fewer complaints last year than during
the previous year, and the car service was
considerably better than in previous
years.
The report is probably the most vol
luminous document ever presented to the
governor by that body, and contains a
large mass of statistics, copies of COM
plants, orders and other business trans
acted during the year.
In transmitting the report to Governor
o Neal, the commission said:
Letter to Governor
1.-The commission submits the following
report of its acts Tor the year ending June
30, 1912, as provided by law
1.-The railroads operating within Ala
bam ma have had a most satisfactory year
Their tonnage has been greater than ever
before, and their earnings from operation
show a substantial increase
For the purpose of ascertaining traffic
conditions during the past year, we make
comparison with the year ending June S0
1911 The former being the year of the
greatest tonnage In Alabama railroad his
tory.
The number CT passengers carried in
1912 in excess of 1911 was 1892, and was
the largest number of passengers handled
in the state in any one year.
THE total income for all railroads In
Alabama from operation was S9,4A 1857,
with a total main line mileage of 400
miles, giving average net earnings per
mile of road, of S2052, compared with $17SS
per mile OF road in 1911
while many complaints were made to
the commission, there has been de-
| crease, and the greatest number of said
complaints were disposed of without
| formal hearing.
''The commission has had formal hear-
| ings in 54 cases. These have all been dis
| posed of by orders, copies of which are
attached hereto.
while there has been a very heavy
movement of tonnage. the complaints
from car service have decreased over pre-
| vious years.
1.-THE number Of passengers carried dur
| ing the year amounted to II 95S persons.
of which 200 were injured and killed in
accidents The number of employees en-
gagged in transportation by the railroads
amounted to Sl2,240, of which "a were
killed, and 1883 injured. One hundred and
| eighty y-seven persons have been injured
and 10i killed.
| I'VE include in this report extracts from
the reports of the railroads to the COM
mission, embracing only such as are OF
general interest.
'"rhe main line mileage has increased
during the year IS miles, and we now nave
within the state 1900 miles main line, IN
cluding second tracks, sidings, and YARDS
have increased during the year 3l.15 miles,
and we now have siding and yard tracks,
| 1674.15 miles, making total mileage OF
| 6,274.15 miles.
AN order IF this commission issued
against the Northern Alabama Railroad
| company and the Kansas City. Memphis
and Birmingham Railroad company, re-
| quring the construction of union pa''-
senger depot at Jasper Ala, is now being
| handled by the attorney general through
| the courts: also an order of this comms-
sion requiring the Alabama Great SOUTH
ern Railroad company ct al. to construct
/, a union passenger depot at Besesmer'
| Ala: also an order of this commission
against the Nashville. Chattanooga ana
| st. Louis Railroad company, requiring
! said road to maintain a passenger service
between Gadsden and Guntersville, Aia.'
on Sunday, it being found that said rail-
road operates no Sunday service.