The Washington herald., 1921-05-13
NO DEFICIT SHOWN
IN MARCH REPORT
OF RAILROAD LINES
Monthly Figures Fur.
nished by Interstate
Com. Commission.
COSTS ARE LOWERED
Net Operating Income Is Still
Short of Amount Con-
templated.

Reports of railroad operation for
March. just received by the Inter
state Commerce Commission show a
net operating income of the carriers
for that month of s30.Ss4.065. Or
the basis of the tentative valuation
fixed for the rate-making purposes
by the commission under the trans.
portstion act. this would be. on ar
annual basis. a return of 2.2s pei
cent. The railroads in March fel
short -s5o,Is4.935 of earning the
amount contemplated by the trans.
portation act.
1t was the first month since De.
cember that the railroads had moi
suffered a deficit. the deficit having
been sS5S.399 in January and ST..
3Ts.307 in February.
The result in March, compared
with the preceding months, was due
principally to a marked reduction
in the cost of operation caused by
the Institution of various economies
and reductions by many roads in the
number OF employees II was also
due in part to an increase in traffic
the number of cars loaded weekly
with revenue freight in February
having averaged 6S2.5O0 cars. while
in March the average was $4,000
While the operating revenues oi
the roads in March were s45s,361..
52s, or a decrease of 2-1o oi
] per cent compared with those fol
March. 1920. operating expenses
totaled s3ss.4es.447. or a decrease
OF as per cent compared with one
year ago. In February. s5 cent:
out of every dollar received In
revenues was paid out in expenses
while in March this had been re.
duced to approximately 81 cents.
The net railway operating income
$3.50, ,ss+.065l was an increase of 104.'
per cent over that for March. 1890
For the seven months beginning
September I. 1920. when the guar.
anty period expired. the net op.
Grating income of the railroads has
totaled se49.014.6s7. which would be
atsthe annual rate of return of pa
per cent on the tentative valuation
of the railroads. This total Is
s3s5.7so. sos below the amount con-
tempIated under the rates estab-
Hshed by the commission.
All Districts short.
As has been the case in previous
months. all districts fell FAR short
in March of earning a return of {
per cent. In the Eastern district
the net- operating income of the
carriers was at the average annual
return only of l 81 per cent: in the
Southern district. 2.27 per cent, and
in the Western district. 2.s6 pei
cent.
With complete reports. except
from the Cincinnati. Indianapolis
and Western Railroad. the operat
ing revenues for the roads in the
Eastern district were s205.s64.s36. oil
An increase of $40 of per cent
over those for March, 1920. while
total operating expenses were s1s3,-
721.741. or a decrease of Z per cent
compared with one year ago. The
net operating income was S1e.547.-
lis. which was an increase of 4ss
per cent over the same month las,
year.
Complete reports from the South
ern district show that the operat-
ing revenues in March were S75.-
1884. or a decrease of Is per cen,
compared with that month last year
while total operating expenses were
s65. .s46.5s2. or a decrease of LIS OF
] per cent compared with the same
month in 1920. The net operating
income for the roads In the South
ern district was s5,2ss.444, or a de-
crease of 3s.2 per cent compared
with one year ago
With reports from the Duluth
South Shore and Atlantic and
the Chicago, Peoria and st. Louis
railroads missing. the operating
revenues for the Western district
were s177.3os.24s. or a decrease OF
IS OF l per cent compared with
those for March last year. Operat-
ing expenses for the district were
s14s.ss1,144. which was a decrease
OF is per cent compared with one
year ago, while the net operatine
income was s15.o7s.5o3. or an in
crease of s3.s per cent over that in
March. 1890.