The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-10

Congestion OF 100000 cars has been
reduced to $4,000.
Daily car movement has increased
from 23.s miles to 25 miles.
THE load per car has increased from
1873 tons to 20 tons.
About one-third more cars have been
returned to the home lines.
Gain Under Private Control.
These statistics seem to show that
the railroads, as whole, have been
doing more work under private opera
ton and have been doing 1t with
smaller loss by reason of waste effort
than under Government operation during
the same months in 1919.
zone of the straws that point partic-
u!arly in this direction is in the Stats
tics of revenue freight car loading. Ex-
cept for certain periods during the four
months when railroad operations were
seriously retarded by strikes there seems
to have been a steady Improvement In
the car loading record. both as compared
with the corresponding weeks in 1919
and as compared with the earlier weeks
this year.
This means that the car loading curve
has shown a general tendency to rise
although with some downward dips It
in car loading in July, as compared with
July, 1919. a greater increase in August
and a slight decrease of is per cent. IN
the first three weeks of September.
For the period from July to Sep
TENDER IS the record was almost 3 per
cent better than in 1919. The week end
ing August 20 had the best record of the
year to date, the total number OF cars
loaded with commercial freight in that
week being 9S5,064, while the week end
ing September 2S was not far behind
sS3,913 cars. Both weeks were close to
the record weeks loading of slightly
more than 100000 cars, which was es-
tablshed in 1918.
Mr.. Parmelee pointed out that the
latest figures, covering the week ending
September %, show that the volume or
freight traffic handled by the Class
railroads established a new high record
for this year and exceeded that for tho
corresponding weeks of 1919 and 1918.
The number of cars loaded with COM
mercial freight for that week wal
9el,6S7, compared with 9S7.041 in 1919
and 991,9S0 in 1918. For the week Oh
September 25 increases are shown ms
compared with the corresponding week
of 1919 in the loading of grain and
grain products, coke. ore. merchandise
and less than carload freight. while de-
creases are shown in the loading of live
stock, coal and miscellaneous freight.
The loading Of grain and grain products
shows an increase for the first time this
season.
The freight car shortage showed n
further reduction during the week end
ing September 20 to an average or
s9,947, as compared with s6.ll4 the
previous week.
Gain I'm Coal Shipments.
During the first 22e working days of
1920 the railroads handled 3S1 100000
tons of bituminous coal. which was
about 51.000,000 tons more than was
handled in the same period In 1919, al
though less than in the same period IN
the war year of 1915" he continued.
During January and February this
wear the average car shortage was about
so. 900 cars. 1t rose to $1,000 cars for
the first week in April, fell to about
so 600 cars In the first week of May.
rose again to $4,000 in the middle OF
June. and for the last week In August
touched 10000.
Since then there has been a fairly
rapid Improvement. The nrst Week III
September showed a decrease to 10000
and the second week to $4,000 This
record shows clearly that even with the
increase In traffic handled by the rail-
roads they have not been keeping up
with the demands made upon them. L,
IS a fair inference that the improve
ments which must be made along that
line must depend largely upon the aoii-
fty of the railroads to meet the demand
for more cars for the transportation OF
coal. of corn, of wheat and OF manu-
featured goods.
.0rhe other side of this problem. and
complementary TO 1t, is the freight car
congestion. This congestion may De
defined as an accumulation or cars on
hand in excess of current movement.
In this respect the record has Deen
more encouraging than the car shortage
record. In January and February the
severe weather and other conditions
brought the existing accumulations UP
to an average OF about loo,Vo cars
During the April strike the accumuia-
ton was Increased to probably the rec
ord figure of 2SS, 900 cars. with steady
reduction afterward.
"On sentember "a, which is the latest
date available. the accumulations were
less than 5000 cars. Of which about
% 900 were waiting shipping facilities at
the various ports.
ssTn any wear of heavy traffic GER
tain amount OF accumulation must be
expected. No large Industry. Ike that
OF transportation. can be operated with
50 perfect an alignment of all factors
that there Is not some accumulation at
some points and shortage at other
points. But the constant aim of the
railroads should be, and Is. to reduce
both these factors to the lowest posi-
BILE terms.
"More Trnnsportntfon" Drive.
"In July the railroad executives
| through an advisory committee headed
by Daniel Willard. launched drive fol
more transportation The purpose OF
the drive was. with the cooperation OF
the public, to achieve the following
| definite aims:
T.-An average daily minimum move
ment of freight cars OF not less thar
thirty miles.
Am average loading per car Of
thirty tons.
"3-Reduction of bad order cars to
maximum OF four per cent. OF the tota
owned.
Am early and substantial reduction
in the number OF locomotives unfit fo
service.
"5.-More effective efforts to brinl
about the return OF cars to the OWNING
railroads.
whether the railroads will ever sue
coed In achieving all OF these goal
they have set for themselves Is n mat
ter still in doubt. They may achiev,
one or more OF the goals but not nj
OF them at any one time However tina
| may be- Il is certoiniy better to have
goal and fail sn-1-t OF II than not &
have set up a standard at all.
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