Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-01-26
FAR IN The LEAD
UNITED STATES RAILROADS SU-
PERIoR TO ALL.
Official Statistics Reveal Facts Which
Should Be Matter of Qualification
to Observation-Disclosures to
Note Scales of Wages.

Note Scales of Wages.
The comparative railroad statistics
of the United States and foreign coun-
tries issued by the bureau of railroad
economics cover some SO countries or
states, having a total railroad mileage
of 591 900 miles. The most cursory
study of these statistics reveals GER
tain striking economic facts which
cannot fail to interest any American
reader, remarks the Scientific Ameri-
can.
Perhaps the most interesting point
revealed by these tables is that, de-
spite high wages paid in the United
States, we are carrying freight at a
lower rate than any other country, ex-
cept India. The average rate per mile
in this country is 0.729 cents, which is
not much more than 60 per cent of the
average rate for similar service in
the rate is or cents, but in that coun-
try the wage, which ordinarily is the
highest item In the expense list, is
so low as to be almost negligible. Bra
I'll has the highest rate, 7.04 cents per
mile. The rate for France is lis per
mile, and in Germany it is 1.24 per
mile.
The average receipts per passenger
per mile in the United States, zoos
cents, is higher than that of any other
nd T,,ho Tn
Austria the average receipt is 1.O79
cents, in France LOGS and in Germany
0.90S cent. The density of traffic in
the United States is 143,067 passen-
ger miles per mile of line. In Ger
many the density is 693,317 passenger
miles per mile of line, while Belgium
has density of 1,O46,614. A line upon
the important question of accommoda-
tons can be had by study of the
tables showing the average number
of passengers per train. In the Unit
ed States it is So, in France 70, in Ger
many "a, in Japan 10S and in India
1872. Having these figures in mind,
it is not surprising to find that the pas
railroads, which is $2,S71, is exceeded
in 16 other countries, the passenger
revenue in Germany being $6,292, in
Holland $6373, In Belgium $7,347 and
Great Britain $0,6S4
| The low rate at which our railroads
are able to carry freight is due chief
ly to the large capacity of the indi-
vidual freight cars, the great power
of the individual locomotive and the
consequent length and carrying power
of the trains. We haul more freight
per car, per train and per mile than
the railroads of any other countries.
Thus, the average capacity of the
freight car in the United States three
years ago was 80 tons, as compared
with 143 in Austria, AL in France
and 1919 tons in Germany. AS was to
be expected, it is in the new world
only that we find cars approaching in
capacity those of the United States,
the Mexican cars carrying 35.4 tons
and those of Canada 32.1 tons. The
load of freight carried per train in the
United States is far greater than in
any other country, the average in 1913
being 1854 tons. In Canada it was
342 tons, in Germany it was 239 tons
and in France lat tons.
Our railroads hauled the greatest
amount of traffic per mile of line, the
amount in 1913 being 1,245, 1853 ton
miles per mile of line. In Germany 1t
was l ,119,9S3 tons and in Russia l.
033, 254 tons. But the freight revenue
per mile of line in this country was
only $9O4S, which must be compared
with $13,950 in Germany.
We find, as was to be expected, a
paid in this country and in Europe,
the average wage of our railroad en-
ployees being nearly double that paid
in the leading European countries. In
the United States the average COM
pensation is $756S3 in Germany it is
S40S.97, in Holland $341.52 and in Rus
STA $211.40.
The earnings per mile Of line in the
United States are low compared with
those of other countries. In 1913 the
average revenues per mile of line in
the United States were $12,S59. In
Germany and Great Britain they were
about twice as great, those for the lat
ter country being $2S,645 per mile of
line. The average capital per mile
of line Is for the United States $685.
S61, for Germany $120,049, for France
$150,439 and for Great Britain $274,-
OPT.