Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1886 — UNION PACIFIC REPORT. [ARTICLE]

UNION PACIFIC REPORT.

Large Increase in the Earnings of the Road—Fanded-Dcbt Statement. The report of the Government Directors of the Union PaciSc Pail way shows tmt the surplus earnings of tne entire system, comprising 4,531 miles, for- th’ nine months ended September 30, after deducting operating expenses und (axes, was $6,145,242. To this must be added income and profit from investments, land sales, etc., which brines the total income up to $8,118,020. From this must be deducted; Interest on bon/lsr,. Discount and interest premiums 67,121 Sinking-fund requirements, companj's bond 465,395 Interest on bonds of operat’d roads... 9.3,517 Land taxes and land expenses, Union Division, j 43,523 One-half ot loss in operating I.eaven-. worth, Topeka and Southwestern Railway: 11,721 Total/$5,129,090 This leaves a net surplus of $2,688,027, from which deduct $500,000 for United States requirements, leaving a surplus balance of $2,188,027. Computed with the first nice months of 1885, the gross earnings increased $881,056, or 4.8 per cent. The passenger earnings increased $281,308 and the freight earnings $657,777. The mail earnings show a decrease of $8,740, tbe express eaming-i $8,663, aud the iniscellantous earnings $40,625. The increase in operating expenses was $1,18.1,020, or 10 per cent., of which $708,916 was for maintenance of way expenses and $153,800 for car expenses. On the average road mileage the gross earnings per mile rose from $4,075 in 1885 to $4,230 in 1886, an increase of $155, or 3.8 per cent. The Pacific coast earnings, which in 1885 represented 8.8 per cent, of the total, fell off in 1886 to a point where they represent but 7.4 per cent. The earnings of the system from traffic interchanged with its branch-line system for twelve months Were in gross $5,220,038, or about 30 per cent, of the total earnings of the parent company. As this traffic is done at less average cost than its other business, the net earnings from it are estimated at over $3,000,000, or 50 per cent of the total net earnings. This is in addition to the net earnings of the branch lines themselves, after paying all fixed charges, which were $4,403,450 for the nine months of 1886, and indicates the vital importance of the branchline system to the main system. The following is a comparative statement of the funded and other debts of the entire system Dec. 30, 1886: Funded debt in the hands ol the pub1ic5147,408,230 Add Union Pacific bonds in its treasury 579,170 Total funded debt.. 5147,987,450 Deduct cash resources 2,772,9j4 Balance of debt 5145,214,546 Deduct land-grant assets. . 29, ’43,981 Debt in excess of land assets.... .$115,270,565 Miles of road.. 4,597 Debt per mile. $25,070 The mileage and debts of the Central branch and the St. Joseph and Grand Island Company are not included in this statement.