Scattered through the official reports for 1908 the student is confronted with numerous changes in terminology, many of which are for the better, but nearly all impair that continuity of names and phrases which is so desirable in comparative statistics. For instance, the public has been taught, by official practice, to speak of the revenues of the railways derived from the transportation of passengers, freight, mail and express, as "Gross earnings from operation." The phrase is descriptive, definite and clear. For this the Commission has substituted "Rail operations, operating revenues." Former reports spoke of "Income from operation," which now gives place to "Net operating revenue." To this is added the "net revenue from outside operations," making a "Total net revenue," from which "Taxes accrued" are deducted, the remainder being "Operating income." It will be perceived that this last phrase, which covers revenues from which operating expenses and taxes have been deducted and to which the net revenues from outside operations (sometimes they involve a deficit) have been added, comes perilously near the "Income from operation" of preceding reports. The exclusion of the reports from switching and terminal companies in some instances, while they are included in others, introduces an element of perplexing uncertainty at every turn and really vitiates all comparisons with former reports. The Commission itself seems to realize the bog into which the official statistician has plunged its accounts, when it says: "The changes in the income account submitted in the report under consideration _are so far reaching in their results_, in a number of instances, as to impair direct or close comparison with figures for similar items in previous statistical reports." And now it is proposed to throw all the accumulated statistics of twenty-two years out of consecutive gear by substituting the calendar for the fiscal year. * * * * * The writer has deemed the foregoing comments necessary to clear the atmosphere before proceeding to the introductory summary showing the salient features of the railway industry in 1909 compared with similar items in 1899 and 1889. The data for 1909 is compiled from the annual reports to this Bureau covering 221,132 miles of operated line, together with the monthly reports to the Commission of earnings and expenses of all classes of roads for that year, covering an average operated mileage of 233,002. SUMMARY OF RAILWAY RESULTS IN 1909, 1899 AND 1889, WITH PERCENTAGES OF INCREASE FOR EACH ITEM BY DECADES. (m = 1,000; d = decrease.)