The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-01-04
FREIGHT TRAFFIC
SHOWS INCREASE
THIS YEARS CAR LOADINGS IN
dictate APPROXIMATE TOTAL
OF 100000 CARS
Postwar Slump Touched Bottom in
1922, According to Figures just
Made Public by the State Railroad
Commission at Helena.

tana and transported either to Mon
tana points or points outside the stat
was considerably greater this yea
than last, according to figures sup
piled the Montana railroad commits
sion by the carriers.
For the months of July, August
September and October the first foul
months of the fiscal year, there wer,
1888 cars loaded in the state thii
year compared to 103,517 for the cor
responding period last year. At this
rate the current years business
would exceed that of the previous
year by more than $4,000 cars
Freight business originating in
Montana, the records of the railroad
commission show, reached its peak
in 1919, when the car loadings total
ed 340,813. The trend is shown by
the totals by years as follows: 1920,
312,984 cars; 1921, 275,S17 cars;
1922, 217,575 cars; 1923, 324,711
cars. The current fiscal year, which
ends June 80 should show approx
mately 100000 cars.
Bottom Touched in 1922
The figures by years show that the
slump which started with the period
of after-the-war readjustment, reach
ed its greatest depth in 1922, and
that there was a considerable adj
vance toward recovery in the twelve
10
The car loadings of the principal
articles of freight which are CLASH
fled on the books of the railroad COM
mission compare, for the months of
July, August, September and October
this year and last year as follows:
Commercial coal, 10,454 cars and T.
APT cars; sheep and goats, $500 cars
and 2,625 cars; hogs, 204 and 1877
cars; wool, 474 and 364 cars.
The four months of this fiscal year
which are available for comparison
with the corresponding months last
year constitute period when metal
prices were between the pronounced
recovery of early spring and the
slight Improvement of recent weeks
or more directly speaking, when the
metal market was at its most disad-
vantageous condition of the 2 month |
period. More copper and more ore
was transported this year than last |
year for the period under compari-
son, but there were fewer carloads of |
concentrates and few cars of Stag and |
tailings.
Sugar and Ore
Ore and ore products shipments for
the four months periods this year and !,
last were; Ore, 16,500 and 1870; |
copper, 1854 and 1929; concen-
trates, 1878 and 1892 Stag and tail
ings, 9,257 and 1928.
There were $50 cars of sugar ship
ped from Montana points in July,
August, September and October of
this year compared to 240 cars in
the same months last year. In Sep
tember and October, the sugar beet
season, there were 1926
cars for this year compared to 2,132
for the same months last year.
The movement of automobiles
within the state during the first four
of the fiscal year was greater,
here being FL cars transported this
year compared to two cars last year. i
In July alone this year there were t
l5 cars of automobiles billed from II
Ind to points within the state. In !
asmuch as there is no automobile
in Montana these
the secretary of the board !.
tates, represent cars which are dis
ributed from the shipping centers t
o the smaller towns and districts. /
Over period of years, the railroad
,oard's figures show, the volume of &
BUSINESS may vary from year to year !
tut the curve is uniform by months.
from July to October the total traf-
ic increases uniformly each year u
uly being the lightest month, and v
ach succeeding month being heavier n
han the one previous. This year the t,
otal of car loadings within the state a
7as 23,287 for July, 1854 for Aug h
st, 32,437 for September and 49, I
81 for October. The business curve
asst year was 1888 cars in July, 49,
80 in August, 1866 in September b
nd 37,1S7 in October. Il
Consistent Growth I;
In November, as usual thing, W
-affic starts its slump, which is uni c
3rm over period of years as to ra- "
%, the Montana figures showing a
onsistent growth after allowances a
)r the period of reimbursement which =
)llowed the abnormal wartime bust q
ess. Lifting out the wartime years, p
Iontana's railroad traffic shows an I
and consistent growth. d.
The greater volume of business tC
one by the roads operating through
ontana is the so-called bridge traf- =
c. which is business originating in r.
Their the east or west and transport =
| across the state, in most cases IN
ithout unloading or transfer. o.
Congrestion of traffic in the tn
onths of the fall is due to the fact til
lat, almost without exception, the Ell
. ~, - ,,rfy, oivo1 orf,oIo. IL.