New-York tribune., 1920-10-30
Railroad Traffic
Heavier Now Than
At Height OF War
Facilities Still Inadequate,
Officials of Carrier Lines
Are Told; Steps Taken to
Reduce Rentals Now Paid

Railroad heads from all parts of the
country attending meeting of the
Association Of Railway Executives in
the board room of the New York, New
Haven g. Hartford Railroad yesterday
reported that traffic now being carried
is the heaviest in the history Of the
carrier companies, not even excepting
the height of the war movement in
1918. Marked improvement in op-
Grating results during the last few
weeks was also reported
"The railroads have been confronted
with the task of moving this traffic
with facilities and equipment admit
tedly inadequate" said I. De Witt
Cuyler, chairman OF the association,
but the traffic has been moved. This
has been made possible by the hearty
cooperation Of the shipping public, a
very considerable gain in labor eff
cheney and an intensive drive by the
railroad managers to get the utmost
out of the existing facilities"
Other matters discussed at yester
days gathering included the contro-
versy between the railroad managers
and union leaders over a policy of set
Ting disputes relatinlsto wages. While
no official statement was issued re-
garding what conclusions were arrived
at, individual executives present de-
clared that they stood for entire free
dom of action concerning matters of
this character. The railroad brother
hoods haze proposed that questions al
fecting wages shall be left TO ma
tional body, which the executives con-
tend is not intended by the transporta-
tion act
The Association Of Railway Execu
tives also took steps to reduce the
rentals paid by the carrier companies
60 other lines for the use of their cars
by cutting down the per diem charge
from s110 to ST. This action was
taken, it was explained, in recognition
of the general trend toward lower costs
in every line of business.
The heavier loadlngs of freight cars
and the increased mileage a car per
day obtained under the associations
program of more transportatio or" have
resulted in the equivalent of the add
ton Of 100000 new freight cars since
the roads were turned back to private
ownership on March l. The mileage
car per day since that period has in
creased from 223 miles to PA miles,
while the average tons carried a car
have advanced from 2s.3 to 29.6.
Other facts brought out at yester-
dav's meeting were that $4,000 freight
cars have been retired from service
since Federal control because Of their
unftness for further use, that the num-
Der Of locomotives now requiring re
lair is 1877 per cent II the total tin
use. and that the number Of freight
cars now in actual use is less than dur
ing Federal control.
While it was said that no formal dis
cussion took place Of the earnings re-
suits OF the railroads thus far report
ing for September, railroad executives
said that the reason why net did not
show up better in comparison to the M
creases in gross was due largely to the
fact that much larger sums were spent
on maintenance than in September,
1919
The head Of an important Eastern
system stated that it would probably
be November before the full effect of
the rate increases would be felt BY
this time he thought that the disputes
over whether interstate OF intrastate
rates should prevail will be settled.
He estimated that maintenance charges
last month we're at least $50 100000
qreater than for September, 1919.