Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 163, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1913 — FACTS ABOUT THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE]

FACTS ABOUT THE RAILROADS

American Lines Far In the Lead in Comparison With Those of Other Countries, The United States has 62,000 more miles of railway than ail Europe. This excess would reach twice about the world. Our railroads carry a little less freight than those of Europe, but roll up more than twice as many ton-miles. In 1812 the ton-mile record of America was 267,288,000,000; of all Europe 117,347,000,000. American railroads receive 20 per cent, more freight revenue than European, the ton-mlla rate being much lower. Passenger revenue is 20 per cent, less; the total slightly greater. The railway property of the world as a whole is not very" profitable/ Much of it was built for political or military reasons. The United States, Germany, Canada, Japan and British India haze the most profitable railways. In Italy the not revenue is only 17T per cent, of the capital; in Denmark 1.38. The average for the world is less than four percent * The costliest railways are the Brit’ ish, capitalized at about $275,000 a mile. The cheapest in Europe are those of Russia, about SBO,OOO, and Hungary, about $9,000; those of tbe United Btates are about $79,000—0r $60,043 a mile, according to Profeasor Adams, who deducts railway stock and bonds owned by roads from total capitalization. * American railways killed In 1912 270 passengers, 3453 train hands and 6,541 others. European railways killed 554 passengers, following figures in some cases much less recent or more than twice as many per mile; 2,607 employes and 4.465 others. Tramps and trespassers bring our total per mile rather higher. Russia, with similar tramp conditions, has much the highest European death list.