Evening star., 1923-11-08
LINES SMASH EIGHT
FREIGHT RECORDS
$500, 1000, 900 Expansion
Plans of 1923 to Be Largely
Extended Next Year.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, November Slight
new records for freight movement
efficiency OF operation and mainte-
nance of equipment have been estao-
liShed by railroads OF the natlon
since they adopted last spring a
$500, 600, 900 program of expansion,
directors of the American Railway
Association reported at a semi-annual
session yesterday.
Expressing complete satisfaction
with the performance of transporta-
tion system since January l under
abnormally heavy loads imposed by
nation wide industrial prosperity, the
board drew up another ambitious
program for cooperative expansion
In 1924.
This program will be submitted to-
day to a full meeting of the associa-
tion and later to the Association OF
Railway Executives, composed exclu-
sively of the heads of class ! roads
1t is understood to include plans for
much new financing: further WIDE
spread cooperation in the purchase,
maintenance and interchange of new
locomotives and cars; increased hu-
idity of rolling stock; more complete
elimination of seasonal congestlons
through such campaigns as the buy
coal early" movement, and fuller CO.
operation by the roads themselves in
shipping and storing railroad supplies
during dull traffic periods.
The American Railway Association
board of directors, headed by r. II.
Ashton and composed of presidents
of twenty-one foremost roads, also
is expected today to set before it's
full membership and the Association
of Railway Executives a complete re-
port of its stand on President Cool
idge'S recent proposal for revisions
of export freight rates on grain and
coal.
Results of the past years work. it
was said, were:
Add I34,636 Cars.
From last January ] to October !
there were put into service 134.636
new freight cars, and 2,693 new loco
motives:
A larger number of locomotives and
cars We're repaired and reinstated
in service than ever before in a nine
month period, creating new low
record of 5.46 per cent for bad-order
cars and 1871 for bad-order loco
motives.
More freight was hauled than ever
before during a similar stretch of
time, the 40,545,920 cars loaded with
revenue freight going is per cent over
1922 and 10 per cent over 1920, the
previous record year;
The average freight cars daily
travel distance reached 29.2 miles,
which was within 8 of a mile of
the goal set, and Al miles above
the previous record;
Increased rapidity of car move
ments eliminated congestions and car
shortages for the first time in years.
making embargoes almost wholly un-
necessary;
Winter Coal Handled.
The average freight car carried
511 tons one mile each day, sur
passing all records and exceeding
1922 by 81 per cent;
Coal for lake shipment to the
northwest for winter requirements,
aggregating 23,26S,635 tons, was
dumped at Lake Erie ports much
earlier than in any previous year,
releasing great numbers of locomo-
tives and cars for use in fall peak
movements of other commodities; and
\ greater amount of coal for rail-
road uSeS-15, ,605,415 tonS-was in
storage by October l than in any
previous year, releasing other large
numbers of locomotives and cars for
commercial freightS.