Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-08-11
PASSENGER TRAFFIC
! ON RAILROADS is LESS
q. S. Has More Than 33 Per Cent
of Railway Mileage in World
Other Interesting Figures
From Annual Railway Year.
book.
(By Western Railways Committee
on Public Relations.1

(By Western Railways Committee
on Public Relations.)
Chicago, Aug. 8.-With less than
eight per cent of the worlds area and
with less than six per cent of the
worlds population, the United States
has more than 33 per cent of the
worlds railway mileage. This is one
of the striking facts presented in the
annual railway yearbook which has
just been issued by the Western Rail-
ways Committee on Public Relations
at Chicago.
AS showing the magnitude of rail-
way operations in this country this
yearbook contains some interesting
and Illuminating information regard
ing the operations of the railways in
an average hour. In one hour, on an
average, the report states, the rail-
ways spend more than $53O,OO0 in
operating expenses, pay more than
$4,000 in wages to their employees
(much of this total being included
in operating expenses), and pay more
than $4,000 in taxes to national,
state. and local governments. In an
hour more than 5000 cars are loaded
with revenue freight on the railways
lines. the total freight loaded in this
period amounting to more than 15O,-
900 tons. Likewise, $4,000 passengers,
on the average, board the railways
trains each sixty minutes. When the
distance which this freight and these
passengers are carried is considered.
it appears that the average service
performed each hour by the railways
Is equivalent to hauling more than
fifty million tons of freight for the
distance of one mile and to carrying
more than four million passengers
for the same distance.
AS regards the Importance of our
railways to the individual citizen, the
yearbook shows striking and signifi-
cant figures of the average railway
service rendered per inhabitant. Last
year, for example, the freight service
received, on the average, by each
individual in the country was equiva-
lent to hauling 1871 tons of freight
for the distance of one mile. This
figure represented an increase of AZ
per cent over the 1911 average of
2, 667 ton-miles. This increase, ac-
cording to the report, presents one of
the problems which the railways are
solving and must continue to solve
for the public welfare. That is, not
only must the railways keep their
facilities apace with the growth of
population, but they must further
make the necessary provisions to fur
aish efficiently the ever-increasing
freight service which the average in
is demanding. .~
Unlike the freight service, however,
the passenger service performed per
lnhabitant by the railways has shown
a marked decline in recent years. In
1911, this service was equivalent to
carrying each person in the United
States on a trip of 346 miles. This
average had increased to AL miles
in 1919 and 44O miles In 1920, after
which a great drop occurred, due
to motor vehicle COMPETE
ton. In each of the last six years
he average passenger service per-
by the railways per inhabitant
has been less than in 1911, the low
EST f1gure-303 miles or a decrease of
L. per cent below 1911-being reached
n 1926. o
Regarding railway rates, the report
presents some interesting COMPARE
sons between the increases which have
occurred since 1911ein western freight
'ates and in the farm prices Of var
GUS agricultural products. Accord
ng to the yearbook, the average
amount received by the western roads
or hauling a ton of freight one mile
vas 0.939 cents in 1911 and 1.187
tents in 1925. In 1911, according to
he u. S. Department of Agriculture,
he farm price of wheat was OF cents
/ bushel, while in 1925 it was 1859
cents a bushel. A bushel of wheat
would thus pay for carrying a ton of
reights SO miles on the western rail
ways in 1911 and 1913 miles in 1926.
N other words, a bushel of wheat,
IN the average, would buy 20 per cent
more western freight transportation
service in 1926 than in 1911. Similar
show that the purchas-
ng power Of potatoes per bushel in
,uying western freight transportation
las increased 1873 per cent, while
here have been like increases in pur-
chasing power per unit of 13 per cent
or cotton, 43 per cent for hogs, 81
yer cent for lambs, AZ per cent for
chickens, So per cent for wool, and
Is per cent for butter. 1t is not con-
ended, states the report, that the
oregoing illustrations apply to every
In some instances the in
crease in price since 1911 has been
ess than the increase in freight rates,
while in certain other instances COM
modify prices In 1926 were actually
over than in 1911. Viewing the
situation as whole, however, the
conclusion is reached that both agri-