Item1909
Bureau Figures		1908
Official Figures
Miles operated221,132230,494
Number of tons carried1,441,012,4261,532,981,790
Tons carried 1 mile217,756,776,000218,381,554,802
Freight revenue$1,643,028,564$1,655,419,108
Mileage of freight trains560,602,557587,218,454
Number of cars in train29.728.3
Average number of tons in train388351.80
Average haul per ton (miles)151.1143.83
Average receipts per ton mile (mills)7.547.54

Experience has shown that in comparing these statements of averages for passenger and freight traffic, allowance has to be made for the fact that the Bureau's figures include all the great systems and are exclusive of some 13,000 miles of minor lines. It is difficult to estimate the effect of these discrepancies with anything like exactness. But complete returns invariably show a shorter mean haul and journey for the entire country than the Bureau's figures indicate and also a less train load of passengers and freight, the result being a slightly higher average for passenger and freight ton receipts per mile.

Last year from its returns the Bureau computed the passenger mile receipts at 1.933 cents and the ton mile receipts at 7.53 mills. The Commission's final figures were 1.937 cents and 7.54 mills respectively.

Freight Traffic 1909 to 1888.

In the next summary is presented a condensed statement of the significant data relating to the freight traffic for the twenty-two years that the Commission has been compiling statistics.

Summary of Tons Carried, Ton Mileage, Mileage of Freight Trains, Average Tons in Train, Freight Revenues and Average Receipts per Ton Mile.
YearTons Carried (Millions)Tons Carried One Mile (Millions)Mileage Freight Trains (Millions)Average Tons in TrainAverage Haul per Ton (Miles)Freight Revenue (Millions)Receipts per Ton Mile (Cents)
1909(a)1,486222,900579388151$1,682.755
19081,532218,3815973601431,655.754
19071,796236,6016293571311,823.759
19061,631215,8775943441321,640.748
19051,427186,4635463221301,450.766
19041,309174,5225353071331,379.780
19031,304173,2215263101321,338.763
19021,200157,2894992961311,207.757
19011,089147,0774912811351,118.750
19001,081141,5964922701301,049.729
1899943123,667(b)507243131913.724
1898863114,077503226132876.753
189772895,139464204130772.798
189676595,328479198124786.806
189569685,227449189122729.839
189463880,335446179125699.860
189374593,588508183125829.878
189270688,241485181124799.898
189167581,073446181120736.895
189063676,207435175119714.941
188953968,727383179127644.922
188848061,3293481761286131.001
Increase209%263%66%120%18%174%
1888 to 1909
Decrease24.0%
(a) Figures for 1909 computed on basis of returns to this Bureau.
(b) Includes 75% of mixed train mileage, that being the practice prior to 1900.

Mark the one column which shows a decrease. This means a remission of almost exactly a quarter of a cent per ton mile in the average receipts from freight. On the tonnage carried in 1909 it meant a saving of over $540,000,000 to the shippers. In the presence of the present high price of everything carried by the railways, there is no ground for assuming that any portion of this half billion dollars withheld from the railways ever reached the ultimate consumer. On the contrary the presumption is unavoidable that it has been absorbed by the shippers and consignors, whose profits are greater than ever.

Proportion of Commodities Moved 1899-1909.

Referring to the movement of different classes of commodities in his report for 1904, the Official Statistician said: "A slight change in the ratio of freight carried for any one of the classes named may have decided results, not only upon the earnings of the roads, but upon the average rate per ton mile." But without knowing the length of the haul of the respective classes, any estimate of the effect of such variation must be largely speculative.