Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-11-12
THE REVIVAL OF BUSINESS

Evidence is accumulating that the
tide has turned and that general bust
ness is rapidly returning to condi-
ton of prosperity. with the good conse-
quent effect ont he welfare of the rail-
roads and the railroad supply indus
try says the Railway Age Gazette in
It's current issue Many railroad off
GERS whose chief concern for years has
been to reduce expenses wherever pos
sible, and sometimes where il has
seemed impossible, now find their hands
filed with the work of handling the
business offered.
Preliminary reports from large
roads operating fl7,734 miles compiled
by the interstate commerce commits
sion indicate an increase in total
operating revenues per mic from
$l,219 in September, 1914, to $l,296 in
September, 1915. or 60 per cent and
in net operating revenues per mile
from S40S TO $484, or IS per cent This
also represents gain in both gross
and net over September, 1913. when a
similar compilation by the commission
showed that the total operating reve-
nues were $I.2$5 per mile and net
operating revenues were 1897 per mile,
and over September. 1912, when total
operating revenues were ST 200 and
/ net operating revenues $424. The gross
earnings reports of 80 roads available
! for October snow increases of S.G3 for
the first week, 1898 for the second and
1749 for the third. over 1914 Any
( enthusiasm aroused by comparisons
with 1914 should be tempered by recol-
lection Of the exceedingly poor show
ing made in that year; but net gains as
compared with both 1912 and 1913 are
gratifying.
The earnings figures are reinforced
by the increasing frequency of reports
of scarcity of equipment and conges-
ton of traffic, and by the fact that sew
eral of the largest railroads in th(
country have in the past few days re
ported record car loading figures. Tit
Santa Fe in the week ending Oct 81
had the largest loaded car movement il
its history; the Burlington on Oct. L
and Is set a new record for As hours
the Pennsylvania middle division IL
October broke its record for a month
land the Missouri Pacific in October
had the heaviest freight movement il
its history.
THE report on SURPRISES and short
age of freight cars issued by the Amer
Iican Railway association for Oct.
showed a surplus of SS,06t cars, a
compared with 1911 ,309 on Sept. I ant
l133.382 on Oct. /, 1914. There was alsi
"a shortage of 1852 cars. The state
ment for Nov / shows large part O
this surplus wiped out and consid
Ierable increase in the shortage, whicl
makes the net surplus less than i
has been at any time since October
1913. Reports Of increasing freigh
traffic come from all sections of tn
country, western roads feeling par
ticularly the effects Of the stead,
growth in the grain movement, whicl
promises to be greater than ever be
fore The eastern roads are profitinI
by the heavy shipments of iron an
steel, as we'll as OF manufactured goods
which indicate a large gain in genera
business during the past two or tire
weeks also felt by the western roads.
Evidence of a renewed buying &C
tivity on the part of the railroads ar
numerous. Since Oct. / the Railwa
Age Gazette has reported in its new
columns orders for $4,000 tons o
rails. which represents an expenditur
of over S19,000,0oo Including 107, so
tons reported in our columns in Sep
TENDER, this makes total expenditur
of over $24,000,0oo for rails alone
With this rail there were placed order
for at least 100000 worth of trac
fastenings 1t has been the practice O
the railways in previous years I
place their rail orders about the frs
of the year, but this year. on accoun
Iof the congestion in the steel mill
caused by the buying from abroad, the
are beginning to place them much earl
II Ter than usual to secure delivery at til
itime the rails will be needed.