tariff, but the road routed the marble through Cincinnati. Traffic so routed takes the official classification north or east of Cincinnati, which was higher on these particular shipments than the Southern classification. The result was the demand of a considerably higher rate at the point of destination than would have been charged over the route via Atlanta. After an extended correspondence, the initial carrier refunded the excess charges caused by the misrouting.

A shipper in South Dakota complained that the flour rate of a Western road from his place to a point in Minnesota was too high as compared with the rate to Chicago, a much greater distance. The general freight agent of the road claimed that the complainant was mistaken as to the rate, and referred to a tariff naming a charge of 4 cents per hundred less to the Minnesota point than that stated in the complaint. Whereupon the complainant produced an expense bill showing payment of the rate complained of, and the carrier was directed to refund the overcharge.

Dealers at a station on a branch road in southeastern New York complained that on feed from Peoria, Ill., they were charged 2 cents above the rate to New York, while another firm had only been charged the New York rate for the same service. On investigation it appeared that the firm alleged to have been favored had used the New York rate under a misunderstanding. The result of this investigation was the putting in force of New York rates from Peoria to all stations on the branch road. A similar reduction of grain rates from Western points to points on another branch line in eastern New York was brought about through another complaint. Here a rate which was 4 cents above the New York rate was reduced 2 cents per 100 pounds.

Upon a shipment of household goods from a point in Texas to a point in Illinois the complainant prepaid a through freight charge of $1.50 per 100 pounds. On arrival of the shipment at destination an additional charge of 60 cents per 100 pounds was demanded. It was indicated in tariffs on file with the Commission that the rate of $1.50 per hundred was in force on household goods if shipped at owner's risk, but if at carrier's risk, then the rate should have been $2.25. We could find no authority for the rate of $2.10, or 60 cents above the rate on released shipments, which was demanded. The matter was referred to the railroad company, and the 60-cent overcharge was promptly refunded to the complainant.

Informal complaint was received from a point in North Carolina against the rate on box and barrel material from Memphis to Wilmington as related to the rate on such material from Memphis to Charleston. It appeared that box and barrel material is in Class A of the Southern classification, and that a class rate of 26 cents was in force to Wilmington, while a Class A rate of 31 cents was in force to Charleston, but that the carriers also had in effect a commodity rate on box and barrel material of 19 cents from Memphis to Charleston. Further examina

tion of the rate sheets disclosed that on several of the classes rates were lower to Charleston, while on the others much lower rates were in force to Wilmington. The Commission said, in writing to the railway officials, that it is, of course, unable to ascertain from the rate sheets what reasons exist for an adjustment of rates to these ports from the same point of shipment which shows a difference in favor of one as to some classes and a difference in favor of the other port as to the other classes; but where, as in this case, the class rates show a 5-cent higher rate to Charleston than to Wilmington on Class A, or barrel material, and this rate to Charleston has been so reduced by a special commodity tariff as to make the rate 7 cents lower to Charleston than to Wilming ton, it would seem that such discrepancy calls for particular question. Soon afterwards a tariff was filed showing that the special commodity rate of 19 cents in force from Memphis to Charleston had also been put in effect to Wilmington.

It sometimes happens that informal investigation of a complaint directed against rates discloses nonconformity with the law on the part of the carrier in another direction. The following is an instance of this character: Complaint was made that a road refused to sell round-trip excursion tickets between specified points on its line. It appeared, on examination of the tariffs of the road, that it had in effect a tariff providing for round-trip excursion rates which were considerably less than the sum of the one-way rates in each direction. But it was stated by the general passenger agent of the carrier that the tariff referred to contained a notation to the effect that the excursion rate was only to be used under special instructions; that such rates were applied only to excursion parties moving on the road and were printed and placed in the hands of agents as a matter of convenience and to save labor; that 'when we take an excursion party we simply advise the agents by circular to apply excursion rates, round trip, embraced in Tariff C, instead of naming specific rates from point of excursion to points to which they are going and return;" that "we have no single excursion rates between our local stations." The carrier was notified that this manner of publishing rates was misleading and improper, and that the practice should be corrected.

DETAIL WORK.

The routine work of the Commission, consisting of correspondence, preparation and mailing of reports, opinions, orders, and circulars, and the filing, examination, and treatment of railway reports, tariffs, contracts, and other documents, has been fully as great as in former years, and of the same general character.

EXPENDITURES.

The names and compensation of persons employed by the Commission, with the appropriations and expenditures for the past year, will be found in Appendix A.

DECISIONS.

The principal points decided by the Commission since the date of its organization are set forth in Appendix B.

STATISTICS OF RAILWAYS.

FINAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1894.

The report of the Statistician to the Commission for the year ending June 30, 1894, contained in Appendix E, was submitted to the Commission on June 1, 1895.

MILEAGE.

This report shows that the total of railway mileage in the United States on June 30, 1894, was 178,708.55 miles, an increase during the year of 2,247.48 miles. The increase during the previous year was 4,897.55 miles. The percentage of increase in 1894 was less than for any preceding year for which reports have been made to the Commis sion, and it is not probable that the year ending June 30, 1895, will show much improvement. The State of Pennsylvania shows an increase of 300.20 miles; Florida, 234.82 miles; North Dakota, 195.54 miles; Ohio, 184.02 miles; Georgia, 162.71 miles; Maine, 125.60 miles; Missouri, 114.51 miles; West Virginia, 117.56 miles; and Minnesota, 97.20 miles. The States of Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and the Territory of Arizona, show slight decreases in mileage, due to remeasurements and abandonment of lines, aggregating 153.72 miles. The number of roads abandoned was 16. The total mileage of all tracks was 233,533.67 miles, which includes 10,499.30 miles of second track; 953.16 miles of third track; 710.99 miles of fourth track, and 42,661.67 miles of yard track and sidings.

CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAYS.

The total number of railway corporations on June 30, 1894, was 1,924, an increase during the year of 34. Of this number 745 were independent operating companies, and 945 maintained separate operating accounts. The number of companies maintaining financial accounts only was 805, of which 338 were operated under lease for a fixed money rental, and 188 for a contingent money rental; 243 were controlled through the ownership of stock by the operating company; the remaining 36 returned no information as to the form of control. The number of roads not in operation was 76, of which 60 were independent roads, 10 were subsidiary roads, parts of systems, and 6 were private roads. In addition to the roads already referred to there were 98 private roads operated in connection with logging, milling, and mining industries. The movement of consolidation during the year on the basis of mileage involved has been greater than for the year previous; 15 roads, representing 1,734.64 miles, have been merged; 22 roads, representing

2,351.99 miles, have been reorganized; and 14 roads, representing 1,590.34 miles, have been consolidated.

A classification of railways on the basis of operated mileage shows that 44 roads, each with a mileage of over 1,000 miles, operate 100,547.29 miles of line, or 56.30 per cent of the total mileage of the country; 23 roads, each with a mileage of over 600 and less than 1,000 miles, operate 17,918.35 miles of line, or 10.03 per cent of the total mileage; 23 roads, each with a mileage of 400 and less than 600 miles, operate 11,724 miles of line, or 6.57 per cent of the total mileage; 42 roads, with a mileage of over 250 and less than 400 miles, operate 13,508.82 miles of line, or 7.56 per cent of the total mileage; and 907 roads, each with a mileage of less than 250 miles, operate the remainder of the mileage, 34,910.26 miles, or 19.54 per cent of the total mileage. From this it will be seen that 90 roads, representing the first three classes, operate 72.90 per cent of the entire mileage of the country.

EQUIPMENT.

On June 30, 1894, the total number of locomotives was 35,492, an increase during the year of 704. Of these, 9,893 were passenger locomotives; 20,000 were freight locomotives; 5,086 were switching locomotives; and 513 were unclassified. The total number of cars reported was 1,278,078. Of these, 33,018 were in passenger service; 1,205,169 were in freight service; and 39,891 were caboose, derrick, gravel, officers, pay, and other cars in the company's service. These figures do not include cars owned by shippers or private individuals. The increase in the number of cars during the year was 4,132, as against an increase of 58,854 during the previous year. This falling off in the ratio of increase is due to the fact that the railways have during the year destroyed a large number of old, worn-out cars. The number of passengers carried per passenger locomotive was 54,654, and the passenger miles per passenger locomotive were 1,444,400. The number of tons carried per freight locomotive was 31,909, and the ton miles per freight locomotive were 4,016,755. These figures show a decrease in the efficiency of locomotives. The number of passenger cars per 1,000,000 passengers was 53, and the number of freight cars per 1,000,000 tons of freight was 1,888. During the year 1,579 locomotives and 30,386 cars were fitted with train brakes, and 1,197 locomotives and 34,186 cars were fitted with automatic couplers. While the gain in the use of both these safety appliances is largely in excess of the increase of equipment during that year, it can not be considered as showing a marked tendency toward compliance with the law, as 74.80 per cent of the total equip ment is still without train brakes, and 72.77 per cent without automatic couplers. The law requires that all equipment shall be supplied with these safety appliances before January, 1898, while it requires that all cars shall be provided with grab irons or hand holds and drawbars of a standard height by July 1, 1895.

EMPLOYEES.

The total number of railway employees on June 30, 1894, was 779,608, a decrease as compared with the number on June 30, 1893, of 93,994, or 10.76 per cent. This is a smaller number employed than in any year since 1890. This decrease is, of course, due to the heavy falling off in traffic and the endeavor of the railways to economize. On the basis of four persons being dependent on each wage earner, it shows that over one-third of a million of people have been deprived of their regular means of support. The class of employees showing the greatest decrease are track men, the decrease for this class being 29,443, or 16.34 per cent; the next largest decrease is 19,890, or 18.91 per cent, for laborers and other unclassified employees. The decrease of employees assigned to general administration was 3,635, or 10.27 per cent; in employees assigned to maintenance of way and structures, 40,841, or 15.94 per cent; in employees assigned to maintenance of equipment, 23,490, or 13.39 per cent; and in employees assigned to conducting transportation, 32,023, or 8.05 per cent. Localized, the largest decrease is in Group VI, 26,168, or 15.36 per cent, and Group III comes second, with a decrease of 20,680, or 14.99 per cent.

A new feature in this report is a table giving a comparative statement of the average daily compensation of the various classes of railway employees for 1892, 1893, and 1894. For 1894 the average daily compensation was, for general officers, $9.71; other officers, $5.75; general office clerks, $2.34; station agents, $1.75; other station men, $1.63; enginemen, $3.61; firemen, $2.03; conductors, $3.04; other train men, $1.89; machinists, $2.21; carpenters, $2.02; other shopmen, $1.69; section foremen, $1.71; other track men, $1.18; switchmen, flagmen, and watchmen, $1.75; telegraph operators and dispatchers, $1.93, and employees of floating equipment, $1.97.

CAPITALIZATION AND VALUATION OF RAILWAY PROPERTY.

The total amount of reported railway capital on June 30, 1894, was $10,796,473,813, or $62,951 per mile of line. This is an increase in the amount outstanding during the year of $290,238,403. The amount of capital stock was $4,834,075,659, of which $4,103,584,166 was common stock and $730,491,493 was preferred stock. The funded debt was $5,356,583,019, classified as follows: Bonds, $4,593,931,754; miscellaneous obligations, $456,277,380; income bonds, $242,403,681, and equipment trust obligations, $63,970,204. The amount of current liabilities was $605,815,135. The amount of railway securities held by the railways as an investment was $1,544,058,670, a decrease during the year of $18,963,563.

The amount of stock paying no dividend was $3,066,150,094, or 63.43 per cent of the total amount. Of the stock paying dividends, 4.31 per cent of the total stock paid from 4 to 5 per cent; 10.12 per cent paid