Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 40.djvu/810

788 The motive power used on the total mileage given is divided as follows:

The relative economy of cable, electric, and animal motive power has been brought out by the census officers, but the superintendent remarks, in issuing the bulletins on this subject, that it is still too early to form a final judgment regarding the value of electric motive power for street railways; yet he feels that the statistics presented, being, as they are, a record of actual experience, throw considerable light upon the matter of economy. The lack of uniform accounts of railways prevents the use of the data already collected for the formation of a final judgment; while, again, the electric railways, being nearly all new, have not been in operation a sufficient length of time to afford final conclusions as to economy of service; and, as Prof. Adams points out, most electric railways are the successors of roads operated by horses, the horses being still retained on a part of the lines and the expense incurred for horse power being intermixed with that incurred for electric power. For these reasons a final judgment on the figures given must not be reached; yet the facts presented are indicative of what may be expected.

The bulletin relating to the relative economy of different motive powers embraces fifty lines of street railway, ten of which are operated by cable, ten by electricity, and thirty by animal power; and from the various tables presented, showing length, steepest grade, number of cars, car mileage, number of passengers carried, operating expenses, etc., a crystallized statement (which statement, it should be remembered, is not a complete and accurate one) is drawn, showing that the operating expense per car mile of cable railways is 14·13 cents; of electric railways, 13·21 cents; and of animal power, 18·16 cents; while the operating expense per passenger carried is, for cable railways, 3·22 cents; for electric railways, 3·82 cents; and for railways operated by animal power, 3·67 cents. It will surprise many to learn that in operation both cable and electric railways show a greater economy than railways operated by animal power; but in the full tables given in the bulletins it is noticeable that electric railways which have the least expense per car mile have the greatest expense per passenger carried. So the statement of the ratio