Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-11
.b|G RAILROAD GAINS
/: MADE IN I MONTHS
-.
- Private Ownership Recovering
in fundamentals.
STRIKE DIsARRANGED SYSTEM
Steam Lines Arc Functioning More
Efficiently Than Mt Any Time
j Since Government Released Con-
a, trol--Shippcrs Get More Cars.
ny J. FREDERICK EssARY.


WASHINGTON, Oct. l0.--Raiiroat
Transportation during the sever
months that IT has been in the hand;
--of private managers has SHOWN
tails, If the facts vourhed for by oili'
--cials or the American Railway AS
Nsociation are TO be accepted AT ful
Taco value.
any particular change for the better
( His household goods or his shipmen,
OF fertilizers or his consignment OF
dry goods MAJ have been dolivercc
no sooner than under government
control. The passenger may not have
observed any better train service
Certainly he has no; found trans
portation any cheaper, but 1t seems
TO be true that taken by and large
the railroads are functioniug more
efficiently now than when they we're
first returned to their owners. II not
more efficiently than at the high tide
OF government management.
Strike DisnrranEcd System.
And If IL had no; been for the dis
astrous switchmen's strike in April
thirty days after tho railroad ad-
ininis;rat!on surrendered the roads.
private management would doubtless
be able to make n better showing
stili. That strike disarranged tho
whole system, congestcd every great
Eastern terminal, delayed deliveries
for weeks and for time almost
paralyZed the freight service of the
country.
The increased freight and passen-
ger rates which have now become eff
fcctive, are not responsible, it Is
added. for such efficiency as the rail-
roads are now showing. Improve
men, results were we'll under way
before the additional revenue was
provided by the lntcrStatcc Com
merce Commission, With more
money and Increased credit at their
Al Moi NJ ton
even more satisfactory service in the
immediate future.
For the week which ended Scptcm-
Der 20 of this year total of 994,GS7
is better showing than for any
week of the past two years and bet
ter than during any week OF 1918
when war activity was 1T it's height.
only about 100000 cars were moved
when the roads were returned. which
was about as good as the average Of
1919. but not as good as the average
week in 1918.
The number of such cars up to
March under government control
and $4,000. When the strike came in
april the car shortage ran rs high
rs $4,000 and remained at a high
point up to September l. Since that
10000, and is still being reduced.
ConEestion Is Factor.
= On account of bad weather during
January and February OF this year,
there were 100000 loaded cars tied
up on March /. By April 3. this num-
Der had been reduced to $4,000. but
when the strike hit the roads, il shot
up almost overnight TO 2SS,00O stand
ing on tracks which could not be
moved. After much hard work, how
ever, the congestion was relieved 10
the extent that on August 6 only S4,-
ooo cars were tied UP. and on Scptem-
Der -. the number had been reduced
TO 1900. of which $4,000 were at
seaporis loaded with export freight
for which there We're not ships i'm
mediately available.
BY means OF intensive operation
the railroads have been able TO in
crease mileage per car per day from
ABOUT twenty-three and a half miles
on March ] TO twenty-six nj les BY
reason Of this increase In efficiency
during the past few months the
eSsGntiYes. In effect. have put the
new freight cars In service.