Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-26
RANR0EDStARN0VER
Billion NET N MAR
STARTLING RECORDS SET ~
cARRlERs DURING PROS
psR'Ty ERA.
GROSS EXCEEDS THREE
AND ONE HALF BILLIONS
Increase in Income Far in Excess Of
Increased Cost Of Labor and Mater
iaIs-Estimatss Made BY Governments
Considered cons.rvativs-souress Of
Income.

Washington, Dec. 26.-More than
81. 900, 600. 900 net income from opera
tons was made by the railroads OF
the country during the yea now clos
ing. The huge total is the peak OF
prosperity In railroad operations. and
stands more thar one-third higher
than the total OF 1918 hitherto the
banner year.
Statistics gathered by the inter-
state commission, complete
for nine months and made the basis
Decentralization for the entire year, In
dicate that the total net income from
operations will be approximately
81, 09S. 006, 900. For the first nine months
of the yeH complete returns show
s7S5, s, 266. Even this does not rep
resent the full amount, as roads whose
income is less than $1.o00,000 r not
included,
Estimate 10 Conservative.
The estimate-$1. 0SS, 600, 000-is re-
garded by officials as conservative.
1t makes no allowance for normal in
crease in business during the last
three months OF the year-returns for
which are unavailable-but places the
income for October, November and
December at the same figures as fol-
July, August and September. There
is no question, officials say. but that
there will be an Increase: the only
doubt ia as to its size.
Analysis of the retains for the lrst
nine months shows q startling in
crease from January to September.
amounting to more than 81 per cent.
Thus, net income. in January 1895
2ss, had mounted to $107. $40, 81i in
September, an increase Of nearly u.s.
000,0 900.
Whsre Money Came From.
For the first nine months Of the year.
the commissions figures show that the
railroads collected $z,S5As29,647 from
all sources Of operation, the chief
OF which were as follows:
I <ight, s1.S75.01s. $50; passenger traf-
ic, $500, 103. so7; mails, 4 5.a4s. SOC; from
express companies, 3s5.oss.474; incl
dentals dining and buffet . SER
vcie. operation OF hotels and reetau-
rants. sale Of vending privileges on
trains and At stations, parcel rooms at
stations, demurrage, storage Of freight
and baggage, telegraph y telephone
wires leased to other companies. oper-
alton OF grain elevators, etc.-9e0.414,-
597: and all other transportation
charges, s7A0s7.S11. The lsst item en-
braces sleeping and paior car service;
freight on milk. which has virtually an
express service: switching charges and
the operation Of special trains.
To Exceed $3.6o0.e@s,5oG
This total. using the FIRST nine
months ~ a basis. will reach -, $780,
GAO, 500 when the yea closes, OFFICIALS
estimate and without doubt will ex-
coed 1T. Never hnfore In the hstofy
OF railroad operations have the roads
had 80 great a gross income.
Expenses have not kept pace with
the rapid rise In receipts. altho they
have measurably incrsaSed. From q
total Of 1872. ss1, zee In January sx-
penses had increased TO t30o. oSx, 3s4 In
September, approximately II per cant.
During that period receipts had In
creased from s2s0,054, BOG to $324,s54.-
3o1. approximately % per cent.