Document xjpgeDdJoovJOk0k9DRLwJr7Q

Transportation Division Gross revenues of the transportation di vision, mostly from Illinois Central Rail road, were up about two percent to $307,123,093, compared with $300,073,442 in 1967. Freight revenues gained chree per cent to $265,441,728, against $256,143,960 for the previous year. Passenger revenues, despite discontinuance of eight through ttains, declined one percent to $23,672,149 compared with $23,974,624 in 1967. Mail and express business dropped 38 percent to $4,546,414 from $7,359,462 in 1967. The year 1968 was not an easy one. During the early pact of the year, there was considerable storm damage. In the North, coal traffic was shut off to lake ports for more than 100 days by the Beit Railway strike. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf ports were struck in December. Expenses were affected by a considerable increase in wage races, and by the railroad's election to spend an additional $6 million for maintenance. The railroad gained some $8,700,000 from the sale of property in Chicago for a new Illinois state college campus. Freight Business Shows Gain Freight revenues and the number of tons handled gained slightly, as did the number of revenue ton miles. Because an increasing amount of freight is being hauled in larger cats, the number of carloads handled declined slightly. Major gains were recorded in the haul ing of automobiles, chemicals, miscel laneous manufactured products, pulpwood, woodpulp and freight forwarder traffic. Volume declined in coal, cotton, fertilizer, flour and meal, grain, ore, sand, gravel and stone. International traffic, mostly through New Orleans, declined slightly. Approximately 177,000 cars were handled, some 2.000 23