Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-06
RECORD YEAR FOR
P, B. & ". R. R. CO.
Business Done in 1917 Heaviest
in the History of the
Company.

The report Of the Philadelphia, Balti-
more & Washington Railroad Co. for
1917, which has Just been issued, shows
that the service rendered was equivalent
To CARRYING one ton Of freight 81 ,a53, ,435
miles and one passenger 65S, ,Z5Z. II
miles. by far the greater proportion OF
tins heavy traffic convcrgcd on the nam
line between Philadelphia and Washing
ton, l37 miles The total freight traffic
increased i7.4l per cent and the pas
sengcr traffic 1923 per cent, as compared
with 1916 n year which bad itseli,
broken all previous records for both
freight and passenger transportation.
The freight train miles increased only
ass per cent and the passenger train
miles only 6S2 per cent
Concerning improvements and extcn-
sinns, President Samuel RCa says: The
concentration of war Industries and war
traffic including Camp Meade, near Odcn-
ton. the government proving grounds
near Aberdeen the construction of new
shlpvards muultion plants and many
other industries along the Delaware rlver
including Hog Island shipvard, and IN the
nearby towns and cities, and the greatly
increased passenger and freight service
resulting thCrefrOm, ncceSsitated large
expenditures for road and equipment
ut became evident in the early part ot
1916 that unless the four tracked main
line between Philadelphia and Chester
was relieved bv supplementary lines great
congestion and delay would result The
declaration Of war with Germany on April
g. 1917. and the const ructIon of the
various shipbuildng and other plants re-
ferrcd 10, caused this company with a
no a
uthorize he construction of a new double
tracked railroad from Sixtlcth street,
PhiladcIphia. to the Delaware and Schul-
kill rivers. thence 70 Hog Island shipyard,
Essincton, and thence to Eddy stone;
thence continuing as q single track road
into Chester, and south 10 . point north
Of Clavmont. with suitable connections
with vour f0ur-tracked main line and the
South Chester branch
AT Odenton. Maryland additional
facilities and a branch 70 the military
camp were constructed and overhead
bridges were constructed OF Bacon Hill
and Charestown Additional tracks were
also added n Wilmington, IN connection
with extension Of the four r-tracked system.
The construction of additional main
tracks between Wilmington and Washing
ton must proceed 20 take care Of the traffic.
The northern tunnels through Baltimore,
and the Union Station tracks and facill-
tics have almost reached their capacity
in the rush hours, while the need for IN
creased freight facilities IN Baltimore IS
quite apparent The double track tunnel
and approaches south Of Union Station
10 Fulton Junction were improved and
enlarged 80 As 10 provide the necessary
clcaranccS for the larger equipment and
afford better ventilation.
The expenditures during the year for
improvements and betterments on main
and branch lines were S53s9, ,759, in
cluding 81 liza, ,255 for additions TO equip
ment.
TRAFFIC GROWTH N TEN YEARS.
A tabulated statement of the tons Of
freight and number Of passengers carried
one mile, shows that III a period OF ten
wears the freight traffic has more than
doubled, having increased ll6 per cent,
while the passenger traffic IN the same
period has increased 90 per cent
Both the earnings and expenses of the
company in 1917 were by far the greatest
on record The total railway operating
revenues were S33, PIP ,403 and the total
railway operating expenses $24 ,5SS, ,Z46-
Taxes amounted TO 81 ,053, an in
crease, as compared with the previous
wear, Of s455,36l or 90 per cent due
chiefly TO increased assessments under the
Federal tax laws After accounting for all
other sources Of income and for all other
payments required during the year, IN
Guiding interest on the funded and non
funded debt, there remained d net income
OF S5,00S, l05 for the year. Out Of this
sum dividends Of per cent were paid on
the s26, ,437 900 Of capital stock S2l2,256
appropriated for construction work on
leased and branch roads, and SlZOo7 OF
fniscellaneoueous appropriations were
made The remaining balance Of s3, 1922
542 was transferred to profit and loss
As the entire property, equipment and
franchises Of the Philadelphia, Baltimore
& Washington Railroad Co have been
leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
for period Of 999 years from January ],
1918, 10 be operated thereafter as the
Southern Division Of the Pennsylvania
railroad. the 1917 report is the last that
will be issued for the Philadelphia, Balti-
more q Washington railroad Us an
operating company. The companys an
nual reports hereafter will deal only with
the receipts and disbursements of the
rental and other purely corporate affairs