In the year 1901 the railways reporting to the Interstate Commerce Commission received, in gross from operating sources, the sum of $1,588,526,037.00 and expended in wages and salaries the sum of $610,713,701.00; in 1910 the corresponding totals were $2,750,667,435.00 and $1,143,725,306.00. Computations from these totals show that in 1901 the railways expended in wages and salaries $38.45 out of each $100.00 of gross operating receipts, while in 1910 the proportion had increased to $41.58 a difference of $3.13 in each $100.00 of gross receipts. This difference does not seem small but it is hardly realized, except when the calculation is made, that on the basis of the gross receipts of 1910 it would amount, as it does, to an additional expense of $86,095,890.72. It is to be borne in mind that this largely increased payment to labor is in spite of the fact that a part of the increase in wage rates has been offset by higher efficiency in method and facilities. Comparisons of rates of wages, from the annual statistical reports of the Interstate Commerce Commission, follow: ----------------------------------------------------------------- | Average wages per day +-------+-------+---------- Class of Employees | | | Increase, | 1901 | 1910 | per cent. --------------------------------------+-------+-------+---------- General office clerks | $2.19 | $2.45 | 11.87 Station agents | 1.77 | 2.14 | 20.90 Other station men | 1.59 | 1.91 | 20.13 Enginemen | 3.78 | 4.34 | 14.81 Firemen | 2.16 | 2.57 | 18.98 Conductors | 3.17 | 3.73 | 17.67 Other trainmen | 2.00 | 2.72 | 36.00 Machinists | 2.32 | 3.03 | 30.60 Carpenters | 2.06 | 2.39 | 16.02 Other shop men | 1.75 | 2.20 | 25.71 Section foremen | 1.71 | 1.99 | 16.37 Other trackmen | 1.23 | 1.57 | 27.64 Telegraph operators and dispatchers | 1.98 | 2.16 | 9.09 Employees, account floating equipment | 1.97 | 2.10 | 6.60 All other employees and laborers | 1.69 | 1.96 | 15.98 --------------------------------------+-------+-------+---------- APPENDIX E. HOW RAILWAY TAXES HAVE INCREASED. (Data from Reports of the Interstate Commerce Commission.)