Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-12-27
Move veLargest Gross Ton
mage in History Since
Being Placed Under
Private Direction, De-
clares Chairman of AS
sociation of Railway
Executives in Statement

Washington, Dec. 26.-Ameri-
can railroads are completing a
record year and have no inten-
ton of asking for another gen.
eral increase in rates, Thomas
Dewitt Cuyler, chairman of the
Association of Railway Execu-
tives, declared Sunday night in
a statement reviewing the rail-
road situation of 1920.
The year just ending, Chairman Cuyler
asserted, saw American railroads placed
again under private operation and under
such direction saw them move a larger
gross tonnage than ever before and also
establish new records in the amount of
transportation gotten ont of each car.
These records, Mr.. Cuyler added, were
not achieved by the railroads alone but
with the aid Of shippers in unloading
cars and with ''the day and night, rain
or shine work of hundreds Of thousands
of employees
Denies Rate Boost Move.
MIR. Cuyler referred in his review to
reports that the railroads plan to ask
for further increase in rates. and in that
connection said:
II know of no movement on the part
of the railroads for q general increase in
rates, nor do ! expect any. It is true
that the railroad companies are not yet
receiving from the increased rates any
+biuu 1Ea fho rn0f RETURN pnpApd
But the railway executives realize that
they are trustees of a great public inter
est in the reduction of railroad operat
ing expenses to the lowest possible fig
ure, and every effort will be made dur
ing the coming year TO accomplish this
by further economies and efficiency
The achievements of the railroad COM
panies since return of their lines TO
private operation last March 1 were set
forth by Chairman Cuyler as follows:
Achievements of Roads.
Increased the movement per freight
car per day 6.3 miles-from 22.3 to 2S.6
miles
Increased the average load per car
IT. tons-from 2S.3 TO 30 tons.
Made substantial reductions in the
number of unserviceable locomotives.
but unmoved cars from 103, ,237 on
March i, to 21.901 on December 3, of
which only 6,3S6 were detained because
Of the inability Of the railroads to move
them.
Relocated approximately 10000 box
cars from the east to the west for the
movement of farm products.
Improvement Extened.
Relocated approximately 10000
open top cars from the west to the east
to keep up the production of coal.
Moved the third highest coal pro-
duction in the history Of the country.
Spent over $500, 100000 extra on
improving the maintenance of tracks,
bridges. cars and locomotives.
Contracted to spend about $500
600, largely ont Of earnings for addi4
tions and betterments to promote the
movement Of cars.
Made arrangements to purchase app
proximately 10000 new freight cars.
1900 new locomotives. and 1000 new
passenger cars.
Began the reconstruction of thou
sands Of old cars.
Surpassed Freight Record.
'Moved-with a deterioratcd plant,
under disturbed laDOr aad DuSlness coll
ditions-the largest volume of traffic
ever known in single year, with the
highest efficiency yet achieved, and with
a minimum addition to the value of the
property on which the public has to
pay return through rates"
Private ownership and operation of
the railroads as n measure of sound
public policy" said Mr.. Cuyler in CON
clusion, rests largely upon its superior
efficiency and economy. In my judgment
the American railroad companies during
the present year have fully justified: and
during the coming year viii make every
effort to continue to justify. the support
and confidence which public opinion in
gratifying measure has already accorded
them"
pey wp