The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-23
RAILROADS MAKE
FREIGHT RECORDS
Show Greatest Handling Eff
cheney in History, Commerce
j Commission Reports.
EURPAss FEDERAL WORK
Train Miles and Loads Show
Increase, but Cost Of Opera
/, ton Rises.

BssosoI Despatch to THE New YonK Herald.
New York HerpId Bureau,
Washington, ID. C., Oct. 20.
The American railroads are now show
ing the greatest freight handling eff
cheney IN their history and every factor
entering into the work is improving. ac-
cording to an official summary made
public by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission tonight
Comparative freight operating stats
tics for July. 1920. compared with July.
1919. under Federal control. and for the
seven months period Of the two years
ending in July. were compiled by the
Bureau OF Statistics. In its conclusions
the commission states:
THE monthly summary of operating
statistics shows a marked Improvement
in the factors measuring efficiency in
the movement OF freight traffic. train
loading and car performance. as COM
pared with last year. Barring April.
which was somewhat distorted by
switchmen's strikes. there has been a
gradual increase in all factors since the
first of the year. with the exception OF
the per cent. loaded of total freight car
miles. which shows a downward ten
dency, due principally to the necessity
of moving large numbers of empty box
cars from the East and South to grain
originating lines in the West: also to
the necessary restrictions placed on the
use of open top cars. forcing. as 1t did,
prompt return of empty cars to the
mines.
Freight Service Tops Records.
with the car surplusages of last
year the necessity for these measures
did not exist in 1919 Reports indicate
that during July, 1920, 40. 232, 100000 Of
net ton miles were produced In exclu-
sive freight service by class roads,
which, according to statistics compiled
by the United States Railroad Admin
istration. tops all records for any one
months operation since April, 1916. and
probably in the history of railroads.
The next highest record was made in
October, 1919, when 40, 166, 632 900 net ton
miles were accomplished.
July, 1920, compared with July, 1919,
net ton miles increased 1872 per cent. /.
train miles Increased 40 per cent. and
loaded car miles increased 81 per cent.
There was an increase in train load
Of IL per cent; car load increased 81
per cent. and car miles per car day 81
per cent. While the per cent. Of loaded
total car miles decreased o. per cent.
the decrease was more than offset by
the increases shown in the car load and
the car miles per car day. AS a result
the net ton miles per car day, which is
the ultimate measure of freight car
utilization, shows the substantial in
crease OF 1913 per cent. This item Is
the resultant of car load, per cent. of
loads and car miles per car day.
Cost OF Operation Goes Up.
For the seven months period ended
with July, 1920, compared with the same
period Of 1919. there was an increase OF
Ill per cent in net ton miles. Train
miles increased 1875 per cent. and loaded
car miles Increased 1863 per cent. Train
load Increased Ia per cent. and the car
load increased or per cent. The per
cent loaded of total car miles increased
46 per cent. and car miles per car day
increased SIS per cent The changes In
car load, the per cent. OF loads and car
miles per day resulted In an increase of
lab per cent. in net ton miles per car
day"
A separate table on train loading
shows that the average of 1853 net tons
per freight train not only exceeds the
train load In any month since the Gov
eminent relinquished control. but. &C
cording to the statistics compiled by the
United States Railroad Administration.
Il Is greater than any month during
Federal operation.
Car loading has increased month by
month: until July last the average car
load was 29.7 tons. The maximum load
ing goal set Is 90 tons per car.
The compilation also gives detailed
unit costs of freight train operation,
showing a substantial increase.