The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-05
THE EleTH.HouR DAY AND THE.
RAILROADS ABILITY
TO PAY
Continued from page 81

One conclusion that seems inevita.
BILE from an examination OF these sta.
tistics and diagrams is that tho in.
creased gross earnings of the railroads
In the Eastern territory are more than
sufficient for the normal needs Of the
carriers provided their maintenance
expenditures are kept within bounds.
The exhibits submitted by DR.,
Warne treat OF tho remarkable in
crease In the size and efficiency OF
equipment during the past decade; OF
the normous increase in traffic and
the resulting large tonnage per car
and per train; and OF the resulting ef.
fciency in train miles, ton miles, and
miles OF track.
Operating expenses include all ex.
penditures for maintenance Of way,
structures aud equipment, for obtain,
ing traffic and conducting transpo.ta.
ton, as well as the incidental general
expenses. The exhibits in question
show that total operating expenses
(including the expenses of outside op.
eratlons) for all the principal roads In
the Eastern territory. and for tho
three most important systoms-the
Pennsylvania. New York Central and
Baltimore & Ohio. These systems rep.
resent 81 per cents Of the total operat.
ing expenses of all the roads. On the
basis OF per cent. increase in total op.
Grating revenue for 1913 over 1872
the next largest year preceding-tho
operating expenses on each Of these
three systems increased in a greater
ratio: Allowing for this increase in
business. these exhibits show excep.
tional maintenance expenditures for
each Of the three systems. For the
Pennsylvania. this excess sum amount
ed TO 10,650.492; for the New York
Central s5,295,693; and for tho Baiti.
more & Ohio lines $1,61S,434.
The two important groups OF operat.
ing expenses are transportation and
maintenance. DR.. Warne's exhibits
show the expenditures for mainten.
auce OF equipment on the Pennsyl.
vania, New York Central aud Balti.
more & Ohio lines for the past six.
teen years taken from the reports OF
the railroads. themselves. The rate
OF increase for 1913 was greater than
that for 1912. II the expenditures fo.'
maintenance OF equipment had been
permitted TO increase only In the same
proportion as tital operating revenue,
the Pennsylvania system would have
spent in 1913 s69.7SS, 500 instead OF
$72,971 ,5S5; the New York Central
$4,000, 46s instead OF $53.420, 49,, and
the Baltimore & Ohio s1s.427,364 In.
stead OF s1S,631, 403-a total differ.
ence for the three principal Eastern
systems Of S6,930,2s4.
Similarly on the PENNSYLVANIA sys,
TEN maintenance OF way and struc.
lures would have been 4G,30S, 1886 In.
stead of S53, 750,S42: on the New York
Central lines s37,394,124 instead OF
s39171,550; and on the Baltimore &
Ohio lines s12,s59.7S1 instead Of $14..
S74,195-a total excess for the three
principal systems of s10.634,335.
These exhibits of the shippers show
the increase in net operating revenue
for each year from 1898 to 1913 and
also what the increase In net operat.
Ing revenue would have been in 1918
IL maintenance expenses had not been
excessive. For example, II the excess
In maintenance expenses on the New
York Central lines for 1913, $685..
6sS. had been carried instead to net
operating revenue. the. total of these
earnings would have been S93,691,.
70s instead OF ss,396,o16. This total