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Show WESTERN RAILROADS ARE CUTTING DOWN. The principal steam railroads of trie I'nited States issue each month through a "bureau of railway econom ics," a summary of revenues and expenses ex-penses which has become recognized as a barometer of Industrial ennd; tions throughout the country-Railways country-Railways operating 226,936 miles of line are covered hy this summary, or about 90 per cent of all steam railway rail-way mileage in the United States i heir operating revenues for the month of March, 1914, amounted to $242,832,61. This amount includes revenues from freight and passenger traffic, from carrying mail and express, ex-press, and from miscellaneous sources connected with rail operation Tom pared with March, 113, total operating operat-ing revenues show an Increase of $692,970, but this increase is due to Increase In mileage Reduced to a per mile of line basis, total operating operat-ing revenues per mile averaged 11,076 In March 1914. and $1,081 in March. 1913, a decrease of $o. or 0 5 per cent There was an increase of 1.4 per cent in freight revenue per mile, while passenger revenue per mile decreased 5.9 per cent. Operating expenses, which include all the coats of maintaining track and equipment, operating; trains, securing traffic, and of administration, amount ed to $176,533,271 This was $1'. 445.075 le66 than for March, 1913 These operating expenses per mile of line averaged $782 In Mach. 1914, and $799 in March, 1913, a decrease of $17 per mile, or 2.1 per cent. Net operating revenue, that Is, total operating revenues leas operating expenses, ex-penses, amounted to $66,299.4H, which was $3,138,045 greater than for March. 1913 Net operating revenue per mile of line averaged $294 in j March, 1914, and $282 In March, 1913. an increase of $12 per mile, or 4.2 per cent. Taxes for the month of March amounted to $11,319,304, or $50 per mile, an increase of 8 8 per cent over March, 1913. Operating Income, which Is net revenue from rail and auxiliary operations, opera-tions, Icsb taxes, averaged $242 per mile of line, and in March, 1913, $235, thus increaiing $7, or 2.9 per cent. Operating Income for each mile of line for each day In March averaged $7 79 and for March, 1S13. $7 57. Operating Op-erating income Is that proportion of their operating receipts which remains available to the railway! for rentals, Interest on bend, appropriations fer betterments, Improvements, new construction, con-struction, nnd for dividends, The operating ratio fop Mareh, that la, the per cent of total operating revenues absorbed in operating expenses, ex-penses, was 73,7 per eeBt, which is oomparable with 73.8 per cent in March, 1913, and 710 per cent in Maroh, 1912. That the railroads are cuUing down expenses with a reckless disregard for their employes is shewn by the pur centage of decrease in operating expenses In March, this year, compared com-pared with the same month In 1913. In the' western district, which comprises com-prises the territory west of the Mis sissippl river, maintenance of way and construction was decreased nearly 10 per cent; maintenance Of eQiupmeut wag reduced pearly 9 per eefttj traffic traf-fic oqiU were oit 8 per eeat and general gen-eral axpeusoM, par een. Tfept means a tremeudeua retro oehmeKt, by which, tlw rwirs4s rf getttng into a position to Ire Hibt t td tte . bmlngpi of ih jfgjfR QMg 16 i quick return of prosperity In the interniountaln territory, the Oregon Short Lino has an efficiency board at work which Is cutting down in every direction. On last Satur day, five old employes In the auditor's department in Salt Lake were dismissed, dis-missed, and further retrenchment is proceeding. . rw-i |
