MASSACHUSETTS. 



515 



STATISTICS. These figures, taken from the 

 report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth 

 on the corporations of the State, show their 

 number and condition each year from 1870 to 

 1882, inclusive : 



The loss of property and life hi the Glouces- 

 ter fisheries during 1882 was greater than for 

 the past two years combined, and largely in 

 excess of any previous year since 1876, with 

 one exception, as will be seen from the fol- 

 lowing table: 



It is reported that the aggregate losses in 

 the fishing business from Gloucester from 1830, 

 when the Georges fisheries began, up to April 

 1, 1882, have been 2,351 lives, and 428 vessels, 

 valued at $1,862,710. 



From the fourteenth annual report of the 

 Railroad Commissioners, it appears that the 

 mileage of roads in the State was increased 

 during the year ending September 30, 1882, 

 by the building of twenty-one and a half miles. 

 The total mileage is 2,778 of main line and 

 branches, of which 750 miles is double track. 

 The increase in double track is sixty-five miles. 

 The increase in track was 108 miles. The av- 

 erage cost of standard-gauge roads is returned 

 at $59,767.18 per mile ; the cost of equipment 

 per mile operated averages $6,211.31 making 

 the average cost of a standard-gauge road, 

 with equipment, $65,978.49. The cost of nar- 

 row-gauge roads averages $29,373.23 per mile, 

 and $7,013.62 per mile additional for equip- 

 ment. Returns were received from sixty-seven 

 corporations, an increase of two. The aggre- 

 gate capital stock was $122,976,262.26, an in- 

 crease of $820,648.14. The net debt of the 

 companies the gross debt less cash assets 

 amounts to $71,913,806, an increase of $7,062,- 

 915.24. On the other hand, the cash assets of 

 all the railroad companies of the State have 

 increased to the amount of $2,848,006.23. The 

 returns for the last six years are as follow : 



The total gross income for the year was 

 $40,846,370.20, an increase of $3,081,974.27, or 

 8*1 per cent. The following shows the figures 

 for four years : 



* Not including capi 

 t Including capital a 



Stal. 

 md reserves. 



The total expenses including rents paid 

 of all the corporations amounted to $29,944,- 

 167.15, an increase of $2,881,522.92. The net 

 income was $10,902,202.95, being an increase 

 of $200,451.35. The passenger earnings were 

 $19,567,274.71, an increase of $2,238,779.23 

 over the year 1881, when they amounted to 

 $17,328,495.48. The freight earnings were 

 $19,527,094.54, an increase of $919,287.15, or 

 nearly 5 per cent over those of last year, which 

 amounted to $18,607,807.39. The local pas- 

 senger earnings were $12,679,634.51, an in- 

 crease of $1,360,702.85 over the figures of last 

 year, which were $11,318,931.66. The through 

 passenger earnings were $5,162,321.42, an in- 

 crease of $564,543.56 over the amount for last 

 year, which was $4,597,777.86. The express, 

 mail, and other earnings included in total pas- 

 senger earnings, as given above, amounted to 

 $1,725,318.78, being an increase of $313,532.- 

 82, this item having been in 1881, $1,411,785.- 

 96. The local freight earnings were $9,955,- 

 675.74, an increase of $882,388.85. Through 

 freight was $9,408,552.43, an increase of $51,- 

 324.63. The income from all other sources of 

 the freight department amounted to $162,866.- 

 37, as against $177,292.70, a decrease of $14,- 

 426.33. 



The total passenger mileage was 892,321,- 

 207; total freight mileage, 1,130,070,652. The 

 increase of passenger mileage or passengers 

 carried one mile for the year amounts to 103,- 

 898,446. The increase of freight mileage, or 

 tons of freight carried one mile, amounts to 

 49,267,856. The total number of passengers 

 carried was 55,868,694, showing an increase of 

 6,034,203 over the previous year. The whole 

 number of tons of freight carried was 19,061~- 

 164, as against 17,971,072, showing an increase 

 of 1,090,092 tons. 



The total amount of dividends paid was $6,- 

 271,139.86, a decrease of $16,726.96 over last 

 year. Of the sixty-six corporations, thirty-six 

 paid dividends varying from 2 to 10 per cent. 

 The following shows the amount paid in divi- 

 dends by all the corporations for ten years, 

 with the percentage to capital stock, and also 

 the amount of interest paid : 



