Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11
While Revenues in State Show an
Increase of $4,297,124 Since
1911, Operating Expense Is Up
$5,873,556 in Same 2 Years.
For Every 500 Taken in There
Is Expenditure Of $685. That
Trains May Be Kept Moving.
Remainder Must Give All Profit.

Railroads in Georgia got $780,
5S3 in 1918 for their services to the
public, as against SAT ,262,459 in 1911.
That's the most encouraging item
in the annual report of the Georgia
Railroad Commission. made public
TODAY. the increase in gross revenue
nue..
Here's the other side Of the pic
ture: 1t cost the railroads only $32,-
$50, 674 to get the $47,262, 459 they
earned two years ago; it cost them
$3s,854,230 to get the $51, 559,bS3 they
earned last year.
Expressed in accountants terms,
operating expense is growing much
more rapidly than revenue. More
simply the railroads In this State
used to spend for expenses $69.7S out
Of every 800 they took in; now they
must spend $685. out of every 500
to keep trains moving.
Out of the slim remainder, $24.65
of every $500, must come all taxes,
all interest on bonds, notes and bor-
rowed funds Of all kinds any i'm
provements, such as new rail or en-
gines, and, last, dividends, If any.
Within the year 1913 alone operat-
ing expense jumped $2,202,267, while
revenue increased only $746,032.
What Report Says.
This is what the commission itself
has TO say about it:
1T is to be noted that for the past
two years in Georgia the gross reve-
nue. of all the carriers has increased
$4,29It23.7s, while the operating ex-
penses have increased $5,S73, $685..
In other words, it takes 5.57 cents
more out of every dollar received to
onerate the properties and secure the
same dollar they did in 1911.
ut is even more significant to find
that, though the gross revenue of the
carriers increased for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1913 $746sO32.S4 over
the gross revenue for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1912 the operating
EXPENSES for the same period in
creased 50 02,26767. In other words,
the increased operating expenses for
the past year have been practically
three times as much as the total in
crease in the gross ervenue received.
w. and A. Pays Well.
The statement of the earnings and
expenses of the ten Georgia trunk
lines represent from 70 to 10 per cent
of the gross revenue received by all
the carriers operating in this State,
and only two of the carriers-viZ: the
Seaboard Air Line Railway and thu
N, G. and St. L. Railway (Which also
operates the w. and A)-show de-
creased percentage in their operating
expenses. Especial attention is di-
rected 20 the largely Increased per-
Centage in operating expenses of the
Georgia Railroad--12 cents more out
of each dollar received in 1918 was
required TO operate the railroad than
in 1912. This is lrrgely accounted for
by reason of the strike which oc-
CURED on that line during the past
fiscal year. 1t is also very gratifying
TO note that the good showing of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad still
continues. This railroad seems to be
by far the best paying trunk line rail-
road in this State, and it's net earn
ings per mile of road are practically
double that of any other carrier Cd.
Grating in this State"