Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-17
SOUTHERN RAILROADS
MAKE MARKED INCREASE
Earnings During Last Week i'm .Janu.
AIRY Show Remarkable
Gains.
REPORTS ARE REAssuRlNG
Passenger Business Fails to Recover,
but This Condition Is Expected to
Remedy Itself In Next Few Weeks.
Large Florida Travel.

Earnings OF the Southern railroads
during tie last week. Of January OF
this year. made most rema rkable gains.
For instance. the Southern Railway
made gain of 23.S per cent over the
same week OF last year, the Louisville
anu Nashville gained 2j.S per cent, and
the Cincinnati. New Orleans and Texas
Pacific, III the extreme South. increas-
ed 2o.6 per cent. These increases were
conspicuous in comparison with the
third week OF the month, although
good gains We're made every week in
January.
The exceptional showing for tn. first
week Of January by the Southern roads
is attributed 10 the fact that In the
final week of January, last year. there
was an ineXplicable slump III the bust
ness OF all the systems in this sec
ton OF the country. Percentage de-
Crcascs FOR that week were almost on
4 par with the percentage increases
for the sam. week Of this year. The
recession last year was the result OF
a temporary halt in traffic. while this
Year there was no such development.
business in the fourth week moving
along as III the balance of the month
The large gains throughout January
ar" douhly reassuring inasmuch as the
peak OF the decreases in earnings was
reached In November and December.
i"li, so that the current comparisons
are being made with Il period in which
recovery was beginning. Passenger
business has failed so far TO recover
and makes unfavorablc comparison
with 1914. but this condition is cx-
7 pccted to remedy itself In the next few
weeks, and the earnings Of the South
crn roads arc likely to break records
Another sign % improved business is
IN The report Of the American Railway
~
there was a net surplus of idle freight
cars on the lines OF the United States
ana Canada of 2l.4Sj cars, compared
Win i'."1' on January r. decrease Of
2',4I". TIL" total surplus on Febrr-
AIRY was jcii?, as against Gs.70O on
J;Lhudry |. while the total shortage
was S''si compared with 2l.7ij
The total net surplus Of "i.i$. cars
on February l was the lowest surplus
reported ny the American hallway As
Sociaiion since November. 1918. and
represents decrease of more than 80
per cent compared with the January
total since November |, 1915. the
surplus OF idle cars on the first Of each
month has shown rising tendency. but
the February result decidedly reversed
the upward trend.
1t is shown by the figures that the
box car equipment Of the railroads IL
working under pressure, as there was a
net shortage In this class OF equipment
There have been reports Of heavy.
movements OF coal fo- storage. aud the
sharp reduction in this class OF cars
during January would indicate that
the railroads are finding use for almost
all OF this equipment.
The travel south over the Seaboa I'd
sir Line Railways Florida Limit ed
and tho Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
C"mpanN's Florida Special continues
heavy through Richmond. During the
past week several additional cars have
been attached TO these trains The
southern travel this year Is said by the
local passenger offices 10 be the hcav-
lest ever known.