The Frisco Employes' Magazine, June 1928 - Springfield-Greene ...

GROSS REVENUE DECREASES $5,146,470
D ESPITE a decrease in gross Eff icicn f and Econ om ica waswell maintained and gener.
revenue for 1927, of $5,146,- ally improved, the report shows.
470.00 as compared with the Ope rat ion Responsible fo r Some of the most important main-
previous year, the St. Louis-San tenance projects included the lay-
Francisco Railway Company, Decrease 'f Only $172157 l7 ing of 178 miles of new 100 pound
through incfeased efficiency and in Net, Annual Report States rail, releasing lighter rail; appli-
economies in operation, showed cation of 316,700 cubic yards of
a decrease in net railway operat- (From the official press release of /\[ay 16.) ballast; the renewal of 1,410,680
ing income of only $1,215,116.00,
the annual report issued by that corn- St. Louis ICeiinett and Southeastern
pany May 16 states. Railroad extends from Piggott, Ark.,
Freight earnings for 1927 decreased to Kennett, Mo., a total of 16.83 miles.
$3,467,853.00 and passenger earnings Dividends on the company's pre-
decreased ,$1.494.218.00. fcrred stock were paid during 1927 in
All other' earnings show a decrease
of $184,399.00.
The Frisco's surplus after interest
and taxes was $7,464,235 as compared
with $7,546,153 in 1926. Taxes paid
by the company for 1927 totaled $4,-
992,531, equal to 5.52 per cent of its
gross revenues, an increase of $150,143
over the previous year.
Operating conditions during 1927
were the most unfavorable in many
years the report states, due to ex-
cessive rainfall over most of the ter-
ritory traversed by the company's
lines which resulted in unprecedent-
ed floods, particularly in the Missis-
sippi Valley during the spring and on
two of its operating divisions during
December. A cost in excess of $500,-
000 was paid out in repairing resulting
damage to the company's property.
There was also a loss of revenue
which cannot be established accurate-
ly, resulting from interruption of train
service, destruction of early crops and
the termination in many cases of
agricultural activities for the entire
season.
The expense of passenger train
operations on branch lines was con-
siderably reduced by the substitution
of less expensive motor car sewice,
resulting in a decrease of passenger
steam train miles of 499,273 compared
with 1926, while motor train miles in-
creased 255,206 with a resulting de-
crease in operating costs.
The Frisco had a net credit for Hire
of Equipment of $332,014.00 compared
with a net debit for 1926 of $80,247.
At the close of the year the coni-
pany was operating 5675.86 miles of
road, an increase of 79.68 miles over
the ~revious year. The increase in
~~ .
mileage came from the acquisition of
the Butler County Railroad Company
and the St. Louis. Kennett and Southeastern
Railroad Company which the
Prisco bought on September 1, 1927.
The Butler County Railroad extends
from Poplar Bluff. Mo., to Piggott,
Ark., and from Osprey to Tipperary,
Ark., with a total of 50.35 miles. The
-
Frisco etnplojes read with concern
the annual report of our company
corttained irr the ~rrornbtg papers of
May 16. They noted a decrease of
wore than five i~rillions i~r gross, and,
reading OH, found a corresponditrg dccrease
of $1,215,117 in net railway
operating ittcor~w. Students of our
property kizew why, in the face of so
great a decrease in gross, the net decrease
was held so low. They realized
that that co~ttine~rdablc showiirg in
net incotne was ntade only by cotrsta~rt
plriggiirg of snwll leaks, bjl great
vigilance in operating orir property as
efficiently arid ecotto~nically as possible.
These same students of the road
for which they work, realized that
passenger trains wcrc operated with
nlrrny vacaiit seats in 1927, cmd that
freight engines pullcd less than capacity
tonnage.
Alrd tizany of tlrewr lrnderstood
more co~np~etely than before, that
their compatty tieeded help front its
etrtployes in fillirlg thost empty sents
and plackrg additioitnl box cars on i:s
freight trains.
Our 52 Frisco Enrploycs' Clrrbs were
organized too late in 1927 to have
iituch ii~flttence on br~sinrss via Frisco
Lines. 8211 1928 shorild tell a differ-
ent story.
Those 52 clubs represent rnor-c than
6.5 per cent of the employes on this
road, and their potential infltreircc in
securing passenger and freight traffic
is bcilrg eagerly watched by the offi-
cers of this company.
Each employe should drive foranrd
for niore business and a bigger and
better Frisco in 1928.
--W. L. H., Jr.
quarterly installments at the rate of
6% per annum. Dividends on the
common stock were paid during 1927
as follows; January 1, 1% per cent;
April 1, 1% per cent, plus % per cent
estra, July 1, 1% per cent plus j/a per
cent extra; and October 1. 1% per cent
plus % per cent extra.
The Frisco property during 1927
cross ties and the separation of
12 highway grade crossings.
That section of the report devoted
to traffic, industrial and agricultural
development shows a total of 337 new
industries located on the Frisco Lines
during 1927. It states also that a
heavy freeze in the Ozarks on April
21st practically destroyed the apple,
grape and peach crop and reduced
the production of strawberries from
4,500 cars to 1,900 cars. Wheat pro-
duction was one third that of 1926 due
to adverse weather conditions. Floods
in the Mississippi Valley result-
ed in a heavy decrease in the ton-
nage of colton, vegetables and other
crops. Overproduction and state legis-
lation restricting drilling caused a de-
crease in tonnage of oil well supplies,
the report states, and the shut down
of the Ford plants and curtailment of
output of other plants was responsible
for the heavy reduction in earnings
on automobiles and auto trucks.
There was, however, a substantial in-
crease in tonnage of poultry, eggs and
dairy products.
The report includes a eulogy of the
late Mr. Festus J. Wade of St. Louis,
a member of the Board of Directors
who died September 28th; and ex-
tended felicitations to officers and
employes for faithful service during
the year.
AN ON-TIME RECORD
Solicitors for LCL shipments of
merchandise and package freight
may point with pride to the record
made on Frisco Lines for the
month of April, with particular
reference to merchandise cars
operated out of Kansas City to
schedule points, which shows the
performance to be 99.8 per cent
on time.
LCL shipments out of St. Loufs
showed an equally splendid per-
formance of 97.7 per cent on time.
"This is a very good record, and
one which we are more than proud
to have printed," writes Mr. J. H.
Doggrell, superintendent of trans
portation at Springfield.