Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-24
A|LWAY EARNINGS
SHRINK S250,O00,000
Wage Increase Figures Largely in
the Decrease. Traffic Halts
Since Wars End.

Washington, Jan. 24.--kalroads IN
lpls under Covsvnnaut control and tIir
,s,,,,t war eondhtipns' earned about Siiol-
M an. ar $50, nhlyl0o lese than IN 1917,
eco nsl ono less than ia the record wear
II yaia. and shout 'ihc same as IN iol'-
This becamc aI%urcnt Yesterday on
Ia. basis uf definite reports to the Inter
state Commcrrc 'oeiriissuon oi earnings
Il Iq5 principal railroads those having
,nntisl operating revenues ot more than
q O,u. .fssl-. tor ,lcven nsGths and unoi-
l,s,al ..lrulatinn of IGcemher earnings.
winch Railroad Admmls ration reports
,n,hc,tc viii be- currsickI:bly smaller
han those uf the prcccdIN months. NJ
bo,.ph SUBJECT tu shxht revision, the
figures afforded he first pul llhc view of the
rcsults wi railway operats ANS last year,
80 far as earnings are CdnceTncd.
Receipts from freights, passenger, eN-
pres, and other transportation during
the wear Amounted to approximately s,-
syS. .OOO. 900, or sS,i2, ,0nN 0eiO more than IN
the previous wear. Operating expenses
jumped "a about So. .91l uh.OtO or about
81 llanDO. 600 more thRnin the preceding
year.
Preliminary reports 10 the railroad
odmlnysfratlon Indicate shat freight trai-
6r fell oil in December, with the virtual
sfoppinc of great food shipments destined
lpr Europe anil the ct'ssat Arn 0i the hauling
II other war material, while Expenses
could n0 hc reduced materially. Tins
.on,Iltpan sent the net earnings, oT railway
operating income, which has been de-
ciining stcssiily since the r-cord month nf
last july, 10 probably s2a,bnWO or
s3O. ON, 600, officials hclcvC lhis may
he compared o. income u S59,9Ot ono
IN December of l9l7, when bh2zards and
~.
what was then considered = very low rec
ord
The outstar.i features 81 tho railway
earnings situation last year were that
freight and passenger rates were increased
Ia Nleld abcat 500, ,OsslNs annually, 81
St50. ,0N IN thu slN mOnths during
which they were elective, while wage
advance nd1ed sG3G eoD 900 ~ operating
exr.,ns..s 1hcsU are the latest estimates
"a rallruad administrator accountants,
tut Ar not considered final Wages
particularly msT prove 60 amount io more
than 4 now believed
Tho Railroad Administration account
ants nov rcl.rt that IA lalS the >l,7io,
,0O. .st0 paypl ot the wear previous WAS
increased - rgr cent and that consc-
uuentk - $40 nsn ,nn0 WAS pant out last
wear ~ the 2uaem railway employees
Many wag. increases were effective for
only IA latter part ~ the NeaT. even
without othtu additions which may come
from ac tions on pending applsations Tor
more IA +. th,v would make 1874 OOn. .ooa
addition a wages The wage level ~
The end Il laI:s was iittlc NOR than f5
nar ~ NJ higher than - the beginning
II ~ ,ear. when ihc Government vs.
-ume 4 control
" poets fnr Improvement IT the earn
rneS sltnstnn tshls war depend MAINLY
On whether BUSINESS during tht rradIusi
nsrt Tsrpod cuntlnsN active and give
4 large v,luns ~ fright traffic lndi
.atra NJ pant 10 reduction ~ 'rafh,
IN 4 CONSEQUENTLY "a reduord os.rrIngs
acrordrnc "a the Railroad Administrator
Director q CncTal Hines has stated that
no tousidc rutrn was hcinE gwen ~ any
rafc increase hut hc hltvrs no rrn,ra
reduction can bc uadc TINS year
hcsC facts hear oLiy III indirect rria
f,on - ~, Government dchcit - tirnatec
slsipn.up1 fhis reprrs cnt- tho
j,ftrcn,, t-.twr IN thc ~ Incunc tc,s.tved