Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-08-14
Railway Records Being Broken

"All previous records Of American
railways for volume OF traffic moved.
for earnings made, for expenses in
CURED and for taxes paid are rapidly
being broken" the Railway Age Ga
zette shows in an article in its cur
rent issue, Analysing the results for
the first five months of the calendar
year 1917, which include the last re-
suits for which statistics are avail
able. The only records not being
broken are those for net operating
income, which shows a large decline
as compared with 1916.
"In the five months January to
May, 1917. Class ! roads-those earn
ing over 81 100000 gross each
earned total Of 81 54s.34S,314. This
was an increase of S156 10000 or
11.2 per cent over the same months
Of 1916; IN increase Of s348, 900 600,
or 20 per cent over the same months
Of 1918, which was the banner year
prior to 1916, and an increase OF
4S.7 per cent. over the same months
of 1911.
Operating expenses were S1118..
300 600 an increase of s17i4OO 600.
or IS per cent over the same months
in 1916 1892 ,000.0 900, or 26 per cent
over the same months in. 1913; and
90 per cent over the SAME months of
1915. Taxes paid in these months
amounted to 81 ,7S0.000. This was an
Increase OF $4,000 600 OF 16 per cont.
over the same months of 1876 OF
3S - per cent. over the same months
In 1913, and Of &c per cent. over the
same months OF 1911
while the increase IN total earn.
ings over 1916 was S156,000 900, the
increase in operating expenses and
taxes together was S1S1 $4,000. In
consequence, In spite of the much
larger business handled, the railways
IN these months received SIS, 900 900
loss operating income. The proper.
ton Of total earnings required to pay
operating expenses and taxes shows
a sharp increase. In the first months
o. 1916 10 took % 1-2 per cent. OF
each dollar of total earnings to pay
expenses and taxes while in the
same months Of 1917 it took n per
cent. The bulk of the Increase IN
total earnings is being derived OF
course, from the handling Of freight
Freight earnings IN the first five
months OF the year were over S97
600 900 greater than in the same
months Of 1915 and about $3.50 000
600 greater than in the lame months
OF 1913
"The month of May was record
breaker in numerous ways. The totai
earnings Of S345, 773,079 were greater
than those ever made in single
month before in the history of Amer
lean railways. The record was preyi
ously held by October. 1916, but earn
ings In May were 81 100000 greater
than in October, 1916. The operating
expenses incurred In May also broke
all previous records for a single
month. They amounted to $23S, $50,
600, which was about $4,000 900 more
than they were last March, in which
they reached the previous high rec
ord. IL is a notable fact, however
that while both operating revenues
and operating expenses broke al
records IN May, The record for mel
operating income was very far from
broken. Net operating income IN
May, was 500 .07900O. There were
five individual months IN 1916, three
in 1915 and one I'm 1912 when It ex
ceeded this amount In October, 1916
with total earnings S7400,000 les
| than in May, 1917, the railways hat
net operating income S22,QO0,00
greater than in May. These figure
show IN q striking manner how muc
faster relatively increases in opei
citing expenses and taxes have bee
occurring than increases in tota