Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-18
TRADE REVIVAL
LOOMS As RAIL
LINES RECOVER
Car Loadings Increase
Rapidly; Record Is Ex-
pected in 2 Weeks.
Addition of Coal Ship
ments Will Boost In
dustrial Comeback.
By HARDEN COLFAx

S,ouyright 1929. BY The ..reat Falls Tribune
Washington, Sept 17.-All records
of business activity in the United
States, including our war time prosper
ity at it's height, bid fair to be excelied
within the next six weeks, In the hight
of facts presented by the American
Railway Association. as to volume OF
the country's business at the present
time and its rapid expansion within
the past fortnight.
The movement of freight over the
countrys carriers is swiftly drawing TO
a new high figure. Settlement of the
coal and rail strikes has given this
movement the most powerful impetus
it has received since the beginning OF
the business depression nearly two
years ago. A surplus of 3O0,0 freight
cars or more a few months ago has
been wiped out within the past 30
days A shortage of motive power and
equipment-themselve ample to care
for industry at normal-appears In url-
mistakable outlines in the imm ediate
future. Everything the railroads have
dumped into cars and hauled away
except for here and there a commodity
of seasonable demand-within the past
two weeks has been in greater volume
than at any time within year. During
the week ending September ,, the
latest period for which figures are
available, more than $4,000 carloads
of freight rolled over the rails. That
figure registered a new high mark for
1922 1t was the biggest weeks work
the American railways ever had.
Coal Not Counted
Most remarkable perhaps. of all the
contributing factors to this showing is
the fact that this volume was attained
before the bituminous coal mines of
the country had got under full steam
and while the anthracite mines still
were idle. During that week the btu
minous mines loaded about 10000
cars. Since then the figure has in
creased. 1t will go to 100000 cars. or
more. if equipment can be furnished
the mines.
The anthracite mines, which con-
tribute nothing whatever to the freight
loadings of that week are turning out
at the present time about 5000 cars
a week. They will speed up TO 10000
cars. II those figures are satisfied and
the loading of other commodities
simply holds its own, freight car load
ings can reasonably be expected to
total 1,025,0 900 cars within the next
two weeks. The highest figure ever
reached in the past was zoos, 500 cars.
According to the American Railway as
sociation's figures, however, the load
ings of other commodities will not
stand still, but will increase. During
the five weeks ending with Septem-
Der 2, notwithstanding the twin strikes.
loadings of commodities other than coal
increased 171a per cent over the same
period year ago.
Railroads Govern Revival
The only limit, apparently, to the
of the industrial revival
which has come so quickly to the
country is the ability of railroads to
furnish equipment to take care of it.
Already the building trades are ex-
periencing much difficulty in getting
cars enough to haul their supplies. and
other industries are beginning to ex-
perience the same situation with which
the building trade is becoming acute
Figures made public by the attorney
general at Chicago this week show that
80 per cent of the railroad locomotives
are estimated by the interstate COM
merce commission to be defective.
The coal industry is experiencing a
car shortage in certain fields. In other
fields, the shortage appears to be more
of motive power, reports stating that
loads have accumulated on the track
waiting to be hauled away. The extent
of the revival of the coal trade de-
pends wholly on the railroads ability
to furnish equipment
Tens of thousands of new cars and
several hundred locomotives are build
ing at the present time for the chief
roads to meet this situation. The inter-
state commerce commission is called on
every week to authorize the issuance
of securities to buy more equipment
During the first eight months of the
present year. the money spent in that
fashion has been about three times the
sum spent that way during the whole
of 1921.
The railroad figures of car loadings
furnish what is regarded as an in
fallible measure of the ebb and flow of
industrial activity. They Indicate now
that the tide is on the flood and flow
ing fast.