Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-12-28
BIG YEAR FOR ROADS
GREATEST PROSPERITY EVER
KNOWN FOR CARRIERS SETS
STARTLING RECORDS.
CARRIERS EARN OVER BILLION
Increase in Income Is Far More Than
the Growing Cost of Labor and Ma
terials-Eastern Roads Show the
Largest Profits.

Washington, Dee. 26.-More than
$1,0O0,O00 900 net income from opera
tions was made by the railroads OF
the country during the year now clos
ing. The huge total is the peak OF
prosperity in railroad operations, and
stands more than One-third higher than
the total of 1913, hitherto the banner
year.
Statistics gathered by the Interstate
commerce commission complete Tor
nine months and made the basis for
calculation for the entire year, indi-
cate that the total net income from
operations will be approximately ST.
O9S, 100000. For the first nine months
of the year complete returns show
$7S5, 5,55S, ,266. Even this does not rep
resent the full amount, as roads whose
income is less than $1,000,0O0 are not
included.
Estimate Is Conservative.
The estimate-$1, ,09S ,OO0OO0-is re-
garded by officials rs conservative.
Where Money Came From.
For the first nine months of the
year, the commissions figures show
that the railroads collected $2,G54,S2
CAT from all sources of operation, the
chief items of which were as follows:
| Freight, ST, ,S75, ,O19, 800; passenger traf-
fic, $500, ,1O3,9O7 mails, $45,34S,6O9;
from express companies, $65OS9,474.
This total using the first nine
months as a basis, will reach %3,6OO,-
! GAO, ,502 when the year closes, 0illclalS
estimate, and without doubt will eX-
| ceed it. Never before in the history
| of railroad operations have the roads
had so great a gross income.
Expenses have not kept pace with
the rapid rise in receipts, although
they have measurably increased. From
a total of $1S2 ,SS1 ,269 in Janary ex-
penses had increased to $203, ,233,394
in September, Approximately IL per
cent. During that period receipts had
increased from $26O,O54, ,3O6 to $324,-
954, ,3O1, approximately % per cent.
All operating expenses totaled ST.
| 744, ,1GOO22.
Expenses $2,346, ,066, 900.
| On the same basis, the years eX~
penses will approximate $2,346, ,O6699O,
leaving net revenue from operations
81 254, ,573. .512 From the last figure,
however, must be deducted the rail-
roads annual tax bill, Approximately
S155. .G25, SAG, and bad debts-doWn on
the books as uncOllectable revenue
approximating $963,92S, total of
} $156, ,591 ,474.
Alone 230,500 miles Of railroad we're
!, in operation during the year.
Compared with previous earnings,
net income for 1916 shows an increase
of more than 50 per cent over the
fiscal year of 1915; 50 per cent over
1914, and 81 per cent over 1913.
Wide divergence in receipts among
the roads of various sections is dis
closed. The Oyerburdened railroads
of the East have skinned the cream
of the traffic.
Why East Gets Profits.
While the usual eastward trend of
traffic, the great demands Of nations
at war, and the location Of most Of
the country's factories, munition and
otherwise in the East are given as
prime causes for this condition, sec
ondary reasons are said to be that
eastern roads for the most part have
} short hauls and traverse denSely pop
ulated areas. Especially is this no.
ticeable in the revenue from paSSen-
ger traffic, eastern roads, with 1920
miles, having received almost as
much in passenger fares as all the
rest of the roads OF the country put