The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-11-13
RAIL ROADS ARE
GOING AHEAD
Private Owners are Moving Freight
Fast These Days, According to
Information from Railroad
Sources.
1920 FIGURES GROWING
Prediction That Freight Handled in
1920 VIII be Far in Excess Of
That Of Last
Year.

|. v The following bulletin on railroad
operation has been received by w. A
Bridgman, of the Wabash railroad
company:
while the advocates of government
operation are finding fault with the
management of the railways under
private operation, the railways are
going ahead" says the Railway Age,
making records of increased efficien-
cy that are vindicating the wisdom
of the public in having them returned
to private operation.
Statistics already made public re-
gardfng the number of carloads of
freight moved in August have shown
that in that month more freight was
handled than in any previous August
in history. Statistics more recently
compiled by the Interstate Commerce
Commission disclose the fact, which
even those in close touch with traffic
conditions did not know, that even in
July, when the effects Of the switch
mems strike were still felt, the rail
ways handled more business than in
July of any preceding year. The
number of tons moved tone mile in
July, these statistics of the commits
sion disclose, was 1929, 100000, as
compared with 39,347 100000 in July,
1913, the record up to this time.
zone of the important reasons for
the increase in the traffic handled
which the statistics of the commission
disclose, is that the average number
of tons loaded per car in July showed
a large increase, being 296 tons, as
compared with Pts tons in July, 1919.
q It'll. roso rot
discloses the fact that in spite of the
, outlaw railroad strikes, the total
amount of freight handled in the first
seven months Of 1920 was greater than
in the same period Of any preceding
year, being $4,000, 000,0 900 tons carried
one mile as compared with 247, 800
100000 ton miles in 1918 and 213,00O,-
900 900 ton miles in 1919.
Expect Big Hauls.
with the facts now before us, 1t
is safe to predict that the amount OF
freight handled in the entire year OF
1920 will be greater than in any ear
lier year in history. The number or
cars loaded week by week still con-
tinues to show increases over the cor
responding weeks of previous years.
In the week ending October 2, the
latest for which a report had been
made, the number of cars loaded by
the class one roads was 975,946, as
cUnpared with 957,596 in 1919 and
gu. 1896 in 1918. In the week ending
October 8, as the statistics OF the
United States geological survey show,
the number of tons of bituminous coal
TRANSPORTED was 1905, 900, which sets
a new record for this year and closely
approaches the highest record ever
made in any past year.
"Since the statistics of the Interstate
Commerce Commission show that
even back in July the railways moved
more freight than ever before in that
month. it may be predicted with the
almost confidence that when complete
dates are available they will snow
that all previous records have been
broken in every subsequent month.
'The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion's statistics for July throw new
light upon the increases in operating
EFFICIENCY. which have been secured
since the railways were returned TO
their management. Reference mas
already been made to the large IN
crease which has been secured in the
average number of tons loaded per
car. This has been largely due to
the energetic corporations which the
shippers of the country have been CIV
ing to the railways. In addition, the
average miles that each freight car
was moved daily was 26.2, as against
24.1 in 1919. The number of service
able cars had been increased to 92.S
of the total as compared with 91.2 in
the Same month Of last year, and the
average number Of tons per train was
1853. as compared with 761.
"One cf the most important results
the ra;.ryays have obtained is the
practical elimination Of all COMPOSITIONS
I in their terminals. When they Were
returned TO private operation on
1;.rcn /, the number Of loaded cars
accumulated IN the terminals await
ina movement was almost 100000. II
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