The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-03-11

These figures were taken from the
National Census Bulletin and the in
terstate commerce commission report
Of 1910. and are therefore authentic.
This statement brings out clearly
th1 density and sparsity of popula-
,fon In the states shown, indicating
that New Mexico. with Il population
e 81 per square mile. 10 h lowest,
excepting Arizona, which IN "a close
sc,ond. with a population OF is per
square mile. Thi1 tabl" will convey
e YOU au idea Js to tho density OF
lrliilc In this state as compared with
,,hcr states having a fd'' Of three
cents per mile. The reports Of the
Santa Fe company show hat the
average distance travelled hy passen-
gers locally within the state OF New
Mexico Is hfty-four miles. and that
there Is an average Of only eight
state passengers carried on each train
operated, while on the same train an
average OF nfty-hyc passengers are
carried through the state. The statis-
tics Of the santa Fe further show that
the expense Of running passenger
trains through the state of New Mex
leo be- fi.O9 per train per mile. and an
analysis OF his report of their opera-
lions In New Mexico Tor h fiscal
year ending June 80. 1871, shows that
the operating expense per passenger
per mile during that period was three
cents. this without any allowance for
taxes. interest or return upon invest
ment. Adding thereto the cost of
taxes and a return Of six per cent up
on tn" assessed valuation, the total
cost OF hauling "a passenger ~ mile
In the state Of New Mexico Is four
tents aud three mills, or, In other
words. "a loss OF three mills or over
per passenger, and taking into con-
sideration the fact that an average OF
only eight New Mexico local passen-
gers are handled ON each passenger
train nf the Santa Fe company, or
%thirty-two cents per train per mile.
and the cost Of operating such trains
through New Mexico being Fl.OS per
mile. leaving q deficit Of evenly
seven cents per mile Il viii De readily
seen hat the santa Fc or n other
company could not aford 20 run their
passenger trains In New Mexico Tor
strictly local travel; or, in other
words. without the assistance OF the
through travel, straight passenger
service could not be maintained.
As an indication of the low traffic
paying ability Of what might be call
ed a state rate In Sew Mexico. the
lines of the santa Pc company De-
tween Carlsbad and Clovis, and be-
tween Clovis and Brien, might be
taken as typical. An analysis OF pas
sengcr traffic over these two lines was
made during the period from January
18th To- April Sth. 1914, inclusive, and
IL was found that the two passenger
trains operating on the line between
Carlsbad and Clovis handled an aver
age of 2i.3 passcngcrs per Train at an
actual revenue OF eigh.y cents per
passenger train mile. The operating
expenses per passenger tram mile
without allowance Tor taxes, interest,"
or return upon investment on the line
OF Clovis to Carlsbad during the year
ending June 80. 1914, was tl,O2. or
excluding the expense assisnable 10
mail and express, approximately
cighty-one cents. During the period
from January ath To April Sth, 1914
inclusive, II was found that the Two
trains operating on the line between
Cloyia aud Belen handled an average
Of 2i.7 passengers per train at an ac-
tual revenue of s~eyenty-three cents
per train mile, as compared with an
operating expense during the year
ending June so, 1914, of fil7 per
train per mile. or, excluding the exc
lenses assignablo Ia mail and express
nlnety-four cents.
As further illustrating che limited
revenue ON state %truiiic. We would