The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-12-28
SETS RECORD IN RAILWAY oPER-
ATIoNS-oNE-THIRD GREATER
THAN THAT OF PREVIOUS
BANNER YEAR.
TWO BILLION AND HALF IS
COLLECTED IN NINE MONTHS
f:xpenseo Fail to Keep Pace With Rise
In Recei2ts-compared With Previ-
Gus Earnings, Net Income for
1916 Shows Increase of 81
Per Cent Over 1915.

Washington, Dec. 81. - More than
S ,000, 000, 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 pros
perity 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 for
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.
098, 900, 900.
Increase over Estimate Assured.
For the first nine months of the year
complete returns show 5,5S, 266.
Even this Ices not represent the full
amount, as roads whose income is less
than 81, 900 are not included.
The estimate-$1,0 9S, 900, 00-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 in
come for October, November and De-
cember at the same figures as for
July, August and September. There is
no question, officials say, but that
there will be an increase; the only
doubt is as to it's size.
Analysis of the returns for the first
nine months shows a startling increase
from January to September, amount
ing to more than 81 per cent. Thus,
the net income in January, $64,915,-
2S6, had amounted to $107, 910,S14 In
September, an increase of nearly $43,-
900, 900.
Collect $2,654,82e,64 CAT In Nine Months.
For the first nine months of the
year, the commissions figures show
that the railroads collected s2,654,-
829,647 from all sources of operation,
the chief items of which were as fol-
lows: Freight, $1,S75, 019. 800; passen-
ger traffic, 1922, l03, 907; mails, S45,-
34S,60S; from express companies, $685.
VoOtftFS lSluChLaio- uthlit6 III uAIC
car service. operation Of hotels and
restaurants, sale of vending privileges
or trains and at stations, parcel rooms
at stations, demurrage, storage Of
freight and baggage, telegraph and
telephone wires leased to other COM
panies, operation of grain elevators,
etc.-$60,414,597; and all other trans
portation charges, $76,0S7 GIL. The
last item embraces sleeping and parlor
car service; freight on milk, which has
virtually an express service; switching
charges and the operation of special
trains.
Greatest Income In History.
This total, using the first nine
months as a basis, will reach $780,
640,503 when the year closes, officials
estimate, and without doubt will ex-
coed 1t. 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 measureably increased.
From a total of 1882, SS1 ,2S6 in Janu-
airy expenses had Increased to $685.
235,394 in September-approximately
IL per cent. During that period re-
ceipts had increased from $3.50 ,054.-
300 to $324,954,3 01, approximately IS
per cent.
Compared with previous earnings,
net income for 1916 shows an increase
OF more than 50 per cent over the fiscal
year of 1915; SO per cent over 1914 and
"a per cent over 1913.