The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-20
Annual Report in Topeka To-
day Shows Boost to Employees.
Partly Due to Increase in
Forces Employed on Road.
TAXES JUMP so PER CENT
Nearly 10 Million for This Pur-
pose in Last Year.
More Than 10000 Miles Are
Now Under Operation.

Federal, state and local taxes of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway
for the year ending June 80, 1917, ag-
gregated a total of $9,S7O,63 and
show an increase over the preceding
year of SO, $50, O,268.16, according to the
annual directors report which reached
Topeka today. For the first time the
matter of federal taxes have become a
matter of concern to the road. The
companys tax situation, according to
the report, has been revolutionized by
the new system of federal taxation
recently adopted and which applies to
all the calendar year of 1917.
The change wrought, says the re-
port, is not adequately indicated by the
increase registered for the fiscal year
because it contains only six months
of the calendar year. 1t is impossible,
continue the directors, to forecast the
taxes for the calendar year of 1917,
but it is by no means improbable that
they will be about $12,00O,000, or
about twice the annual average for
recent years, and possibly more.
Strain Every Nerve.
lowing to high prices" says the re-
port, "it has not been possible to add
materially to equipment, and the re-
suit has been that in the effort to
handle the enormous business every
nerve has been strained to the utmost.
1t has been found necessary to place
orders for nearly four thousand cars
of various types and for thirty en-
gines, all of which have been deliv-
cred during the calendar year and
some of them during the fiscal year.
The prices we have contracted to pay
for this equipment, when received, are
double those of two years ago."
Raise in Wages.
The report is eloquent of the up
heaval and reorganization in the in
dustrial world. 1t continued:
"On all sides the company has been
confronted with the necessity of in
creasing wages and salaries. The pay
roll for the last six months of the year
/ was nearly 3 per cent in excess of the
payroll for the corresponding period
two years before. This was partly due
to the employment of increased forces
but after making allowance for this
! increase in forces it is believed that
the current wages and salaries are OF
an average of about 20 per cent over
the wages and salaries of two years
ago.
The value of equipment retired by
| the road during the fiscal year total
/ ed $1,321,S42.47. 1t comprised of 2t
/ locomotives, 1885 freight cars, 8
/ passenger cars. and 257 work cars
| The freight and work cars retired in.
/ cluded 549 cars, which, being per
: IndnenIly assigned TO work service
were relettered and transferred from
! freight equipment to work service
Equipment added during the flsca
year was valued at $1,096, 6,2S7.63 L
! included II locomotives, APT freigh
( cars, 3 passenger cars and motor
equipment of cars, l car float, 5S;
miscellaneous work cars and an auto
4 mobile.
Big Mileage.
The lines operated by the road our
I ing the year totaled 11,2619S mile
and including yard tracks and siding
tOtaled 16453.72. The total expended
during the year for extensions, ad
ditions and miscellaneous acquisition
were $12, ,478.54. Temporary in
vestments of $14,773,6OO were ais,
made on short term notes. The com
pany's capital stock was increased
by the issue of s5,336,OOO in common
stock in exchange for a corresponding
amount of convertible bonds Op
Grating revenues for the year wer
81 56,179,120.5 as against $133,762,
329.24 for the fiscal year ending ii
1915. Operating expenses for the fis
cal year ending in 1917 totaled $96,
333,56S.67, leaving a net operating
revenue of s59,S45, ,551S7 The sur
plus to the credit of profit and los
June 30 amounted to S26, ,543.6E