Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-11
While Revenues in State Show an
Increase Of $4,297,l24 Since
1911, Operating Expense Is Up
$5,873,556 in Same 2 Years.
For Every 500 Taken in There
Is Expenditure Of $75.35 That
Trains May Be Kept Moving
Remainder Must Give All Profit.

Railroads in Georgia got s51,559,-
$50 In 1918 for their services TO the
public, as against SAT ,45s in 1911,
That's the most encouraging item
In the annual report Of the Georgia
Railroad Commission, made public
to-day, the increase in gross revenue
nue..
Here's the other side OF the pic
ture; II cost the railroads only 1872
ESQ 674 to get the S47,262,459 they
earned two years ago; 1t cost them
s3S.s54,230 to get the ISL 559,5S3 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 s69.7S out
of every 500 they took in; now they
must spend $685. out OF every 800
to keep trains moving.
out of the slim remainder, s2465
of every 500. must come all taxes
all interest on bonds, notes and Dor
rowed funds of all kinds, any i'm
provements, such as new rail or en-
gines, and. last, dividends. II any,
Within the year 1918 alone operat
ing expense jumped $2.202,2 1851, while
revenue increased only $746,032
What Report Says.
This Is what the commission itself
mas to say about Il;
1T is to be noted that for the past
two years in Georgia the gross reve-
nue. of all the carriers has increased
S4.297. 1919, while the operating ex-
penses have increa sed S5,S7S, $685..
In other words, II takes 5.57 cents
more out of every dollar received to
operate the properties and secure the
same dollar they did In 1911.
TT is even more significant to find
that. though the gross revenue Of the
carriers increased for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1918 $746032s4 over
the gross revenue for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1912. the operating
expenses for the same period in
creased 81, 202.267s7. 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 rs 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 the
N, c. and st. l.. Railway (Which also
operates the w. and A)-show a 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 largely accounted for
by reason of the strike which cc-
CURED on that line during the past
fiscal year. 1t is also very gratlfyins
TO note that the good showing of tn
Western and Atlantic Railroad still
continues. This railroad seems to be
by far the best paying trunk line rail
road in this State, and its net earn
ings per mile of road are practically
double that of any other carrier OPP
Grating in this State"