New-York tribune., 1918-04-26

portant question pertaining to the
efficiency with which cars are operated
is the ratio between their capacity and
the loads moved in them when they are
loaded. The latest information we have
regarding the average capacity per
freight car is given in the statistics
of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion for the year ended June 80, 1916
The average capacity of all cars at that
time was 40h2 tons. The average ca
pacity is probably not much more than
that now, since so few new cars have
been added since then.
Statistics compiled for the Railroads
War Board show that in 1916 the rail-
ways handled 25 tons per loaded car,
which was 81 per cent of the average
capacity at that time, while in 1917
which was 6712 of the average capacity
reported in 1916. In other words, the
average loaded car, instead of moving
less than one-half full, moved more
than two thirds full. The railways
never operated their cars and locomo-
tives so efficiently as they did in 1917
up to the time when priority and pref
erence orders began to be made. But,
as l have shown, the net car shortage
and preference orders.
Extent of Deficiency
Immediately after Mr.. McAdoo came
into office as Director General of Rail-
roads he abolished priority and prefer
ence orders, and since then the compli-
existed. The car shortage has con-
tinued just the same, however. The
railways handled more traffic in Febru
AIRY, 1913, than they did in February,
1917. and still on March l the net car
shortage was almost 100000 cars. Fur
thermore, there were in effect at that
time numerous embargoes which pre-
vented shippers from ordering cars that
they would have ordered if the exist
them aware that it would be useless
for them to ask for them. If shippers
had been asking for cars in the normal
way the net car shortage reported on
March / might easily have been 100000
Some people attribute the inability
of the railways to handle the business
offered to abnormal growth of traffic, as
we'll as to complications caused by prior
ity and preference orders. 1t is true that
in 1916 over the Immediately preceding
years. The statistics Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission show that be-
tween 1906 and 1916 the increase in
the volume Of freipht traffic was only
60 per cent, while between 1896 and
1906 it was 125 per cent. AS large as
the traffic of 1916 was, compared with
that Of 1915, it did not represent a
normal growth over that of 1906. Why,
shortage? Simply because during the
preceding ten gears the productive ca
pacity OF the country had increased
faster than its transportation capacity
and SO much faster that the transpor-
tation capacity had become inadequate.
Whatever causes may have contrib
uted to tho failure of the railroads to
meet the demands made upon them, it
is very certain that the major cause
was the failure Of the roads to make
adequate provision for the growth in
tion Of this failure / have attempted
to make. Briefly. it may be summed up
in the words lack of credit owing
to government interference. No amount
of dust in the eyes can blind the un-
rrejudiced Investigator to this monu-
mental fact. T. II. SISSON,
Vice President,
The Guaranty Trust Company.
New York, April 26, 1913
Note.-In the comment to which Mr..
Sisson refers exception was taken to
the statement that the statistics show
ing decreases in railroad extensions
proved conclusively that the railroads
had not kept pace with the growth of
the country. 1t was pointed out that
while railroad extensions recently have
not been as great as in earlier years,
the service rendered by the carriers
had increased quite as much as the
expansion in commerce. and that the
railroads did not "break down" until
the transportation machine became
clogged with needless priority orders
On Mr.. Sisson's own statement, loaded
freight cars are carrying. on the aver
age only two-thirds Of capacity-an
obvious waste, which. if remedied to
only q slight extent, would more than
offset the present "car shortage" 1t is
a significant fact that those roads-the
Southern Pacific, for example-which
achieved the most notable records in
car performance had much less diff
Guilty in handling the vast volume of
freight thcv wero called rnOn tn nova