NEW RAILWAY EARNINGS I THE UNITED STATES IN 1886.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1532, 14 April 1887, Page 3

NEW RAILWAY EARNINGS I THE UNITED STATES IN 1886.

Some Interesting statistics on the above subject appear m a recent nave of Bradstreet's, and if we except one line largely interested m the transportation of coal and which has suffered from the demoralization of this particular branoh of trade, the statements of forty-one ralroads, wbO3e reports for the year are complete and which iccludo the moat important trunk linos m the country, show an excellent year'« busineie. Only ten of the forly-one lines show a decrease m earnings, and this is exceedingly small, the lino 3 themeeivea being the le&Bt Important of the group Wish an increase of gross mileage opbrated amouotiog to 1,501 miles, or 4 6 per cent., the forty-one roads reported show an absolute increase ia gross earnings of $1.9,318, 565, or 8 per cent., their net earnings increasing $7,520,510, or 9 per cont. This increase, it will be ceon, was duo m part to tho lowering of operating coet, made possible by the better rat; a obtained on traffic during 1886. The total inorease m the working fxpeasos of tha roada reported wad $11,694,510, or 7 4 psr cent, against the 8 per cert. , increase m izro3B earnings, or taking tho same with reference to the relation ( f cost to groes revenue, m 1885, tho operating cxpenaes of the roade reported wore 65 7 per cent, of the gross earnings ; m 1886 this was roducsd to 052 por tent. ; the net was therefore m 1885 34 3 per cent, of tae grosß, and m 1886 34 8 per conS Turning to the comparative reßuUa per mile, the showing is equally interesting. It eecms that the gross revenue per mile < n the lines considered was, m 1885 $7,653 r> against $7. 411 per mile m 1885. an in-*' crease of §242, or 3*2 per cent. Operating expensea were $1995 per mile m 1886 and $4,861 m 1855 an increase of $138, or 2*7 per cant., while npt per mile ia 1886 wss $2,660 and $2,552 m 1885, an Inorease of $ICB, or 4 2 per ceut. The proportion of operating expense per mile tho gross revenue per mile was 65 2 por cent, m 1886, against 65' 5 per cent, m the preceding year.