The Washington times., 1920-11-27
AUTO|NDUSTRYB|
AID TO RAIL LINES
Freight on Finished Cars Alone
Amounts to Over $100,000,-
900 Annually.

The railroads are we'll up In the
long list OF industries that profit
from activity in the motor car trade.
Both in its own production ana
through operations incidental to Its
growth the automobile Industry mas
been a great boon to the long hhul
transportation lines. To build auto
mobiles and motor trucks requires
heavy materials, steel. wood metaIs'
fuel, tires-thousands OF tons an
.nually. 1t is on such activities thal
our railroads thrive.
Although the amount or frefght
paid by the industry TO the railroads
cannot be stated with accuracy
owing 10 the diversified and tre-
menduus amount OF shipping TO ana
from plants engaged in the manufac-
ture OF engines, wheels bodies. tires
and other parts and materials, some
indication Of the industry as sup
porting factor OF the rail lines may
be had from figures given out by j. ;.
Marvin. general traffic manager, Ma
tional Automobile Chamber or COM
merce. in connection with shipments
Of finished automobiles and trucks
from the factories.
ASSEMBLED CAR SHIPMENTS.
Based on the number OF carload
shipmcnts of completely assembled
machines recorded in 1919 and allot
ting them to the several territories in
about the proportion OF registration
the estimate indicates total fr"iGht
hill OF sJ6 600. In addition y"
this II Ia believed that not less than
$40 0OO, o0o was paid on carload snip
monts Of parts forwarded from the
main automobile plants to branch
plants for assembling. which wonId
increase the total 10 S66.O0O0OO. APP
plyinE the Increased freight rates re-
Gently authorized by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. this sum. II is
estimated, will be raised $4,000. 900
on an equal volume Of shipments dur
ing the ensuing year, or a total OF
SS9 600 600
This figure should exceed 800 ooo.-
400 with adequate car supply because
in 1919. 10000 motor vehicles were
delivered to buyers over tho hiCh-
ways under their own power. TO
points as far from the factories as
I 900 miles and over. This Is equal
to 10000 carloads. But in the f1rst
nine months of 1920 90 severely did
the car shortage strike the motor car
industry that 440.73 machines. equal
to 13O 600 carloads, were delivered to
buyers in this manner. Allowing 10
per cent OF this quantity as nearby
or local deliveries and 800 per car
load as an average freight charge on
the remaining 11To carloads, the
amount OF freight revenue lost to the
carriers through inability to furnish
freight cars during these nine months
was nearly $4,000. 900.
FINISHED CARS AND PARTS.
Shipments Of finished automobiles
and motor trucks from tho main
plants reach volume Of about 10000
carloads per year. but according to
the freight commodity statistics Of
the Interstate Commerce Commission
this figure including, however wheels
and parts as well as shipments OF
motor cars from all sources. will be
nearer 100000 carloads. Since jan
uary | the commission has required
railroads to report this as one OF the
principal items Of traffic recorded
separately. Figures for the first quar-
ter are now available and indicate
1876 624 carloads; this does not include
rubber tires nor does II include un-
finished materials. Motor cars move
largely In trainload lots from tho CEN
ters Of large production, and loading
and unloading OF freight cars II &C.
complished with great rapidity. all
OF which adds to the attractiveness OF
this traffic from a railroad viewpoint.
The earnings shown above. how
ever, cover only the charges on
! finished machines and take no ac-
count OF the immense tonnage in and
out OF the factories engaged in MAX
; Ing tires. engines frames, bodies and
yariOua other parts In getting their