The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-09-23
FoRD'S RAILROAD ANA
LIVED

Forlovtnr tho wide and favorable
publicity given Henry Fords railroad
Tho Railway Age has made deta'eo
tnves,tea,.on OF tho Detroit. ToledoNAno
and announces that Z And, no
miracle. Commenting on what many
have been led 10 believe about Fords
success with this road. the report says
The crodulousuess Of tho American
public regarding fairy tales about the
railways :. almost beyond belief
The Railway Ago refers. as pro-
urinary 20 rs report 70 the lnterencs
drawn by many that Ford was q rail-
way genius and that most OF the rail-
road men OF the country were lncom-
uetents. The facts show" says the
report that under tho Ford manage
nenc tho financial results OF tho D. l.
4 I. have been greatly improved 4h'y
also show that no miracle has oeea
worked The results obtained thus far
have been due almost entirely 10 the
circumstance that the ownership o, the
d. r. & I. has been acquired by one OF
tho largest manufacturers in tho coun-
try. and that Mr. Ford has used his
position as \ very large shipper IN the
country 10 do things on the L. 7. 6
which neither he nor anybody else could
have done without having Hc," sH'H
largo shipper. Summarizing. tho report
Ry1:
Tho facts about tho Detroit, Toledo
q Ironton may be summa rtzed az fol-
lows: Mr.. Ford bought X In August:
1920. He assumed complete control or
through
choosing-most cs tho men who were
connected with his motor car business
In March. 1921. when no himself was
months. September 20 December. 1920.
inclusive. after tho present railway
freight rates were fixed tho D. I: & l.
handled an average Of 492]6.oO9 TON
miles Of revenue freight per month. ana
had freight earnings averaging St93.6h0
q month. IN tho months OF April. May
and Juna 1921. tho road handled an
average freight business OF 2Io9S.OCo
ton miles par month. I'd earned from II
other words, It's average freight ousl-
ness In these thrce months was almost
25 percent less than IN the average four
months OF 1920. while Its average
monthly freight earnings were over 20
percent greater.
This large increase In freight earn
mEs, in spite OF 3 big decline In tho
total freight handled. could only have
oo0n Que TO ono CAuSet ana SIlaS VIZ
an increase IN its average rata And
Ihsre was a very extraordinary increase
N tho average ratio per ton m!le-a
thing to which public attention nevor
has been called before In the last four
months Of 1920 is average rate was one
cent per ION pr h!!e. mo average rs,I-
per ton par milo n April. May and June.
i9:1. was 1855 cents. IS percent creator
than In September. October. Noyenb Der
and December 1920 Tho average rate
Of all tho railways IN the country IS
emily 1,23 centa-
TIA Railway ASe goes on TO explain
that this increase IN tho average rate
was due largely TO thu fact that much
Of the freight OF thA Ford company pays
n high rate. while at the same time Mr..
Ford cut down the shipments % bulky
nr,lclas Oyer tho road. This. Il says.
Na4 The oa,y really great change in the
oo,ra-!nc OF .ha road. N",'hsr'tha re-
du..!on in rates rDr the Increase in
Srucs had S"r" INTO ";ccc; ~hen the
G"u-,S on ;hs roads EARNINGS were pub
l,~h"d Later Ha'a Wi bs necessary 70
Show how ,np$., policies work. although
win 10 t'-hrr ton ratr ;e- ru!'" Z IS
c'"or ia: tho road can san prosper.
Nj rurt'S IN representatives, on the
ra:.-.ot 4" 49, ca IN Ia; '""r" has
boon any miracle.
THIS report should set AZ res, prsat
deal % he a@!ta',on due IN tho Ford
railroad ~ Tia Railway Age says.
Eve wish ne would h"y a large raIrDaN
system and try his policies On -