The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-03
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.

was c"oHSlueIdply greater ILLS 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 were
121,839 cars loaded in the state this
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 it's 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, 275,817 cars;
1922, 217,575 cars; 1928, 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
months ending last June 80.
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 1928 cars; hogs, 204 and 1877
cars; wool, 474 and 1854 cars.
The four months of this fiscal veal
which are available for comparison
with the corresponding months last
year constitute a 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 IL month
pSI1Ous MOlG COpPC1 anu hOlO Ok
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 n Ore
Ore and ore products shipments for
the four months periods this year and ,
last we're: Ore, 16,5O0 and 1870;
copper 1854 and 1929; concen-
trates, 2,578 and 1892 Stag and tail
ings, 9,257 and 1928.
There were 356 car 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
TENDER and October, the sugar beet
shipping season, there we're 1928
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
months of the fiscal year was greater,
there being 81 cars transported this
year compared to two cars last year.
In July alone this year there were
Is cars of automobiles billed from
and to points within the state. In
asmuch as there is no automobile
manufacturing in Montana these
shipments, the secretary of the board
states, represent cars which ere dis
from the shipping centers
to the smaller towns and districts.
Over a period of years, the railroad
figures show, the volume of
business may vary from year to year /.
but the curve is uniform by months.
From July to October the total traf- !
tic increases uniformly each year |
July being the lightest month, and '
each succeeding month being heavier I
han the one previous. This yea the t
,otal of car 1oadings within the state ?
vas 23,287 for July, 1864 for Aug y
Ist, 32,437 for September and 49, I
t61 for October. The business curve
asst year was 1888 cars in July, 1871
1872 in August, 29,365 in September [
md 37,187 in October. t
Consistent Growth 1
In November, as a usual tn1ng, '
raffic starts it's slump, which is uni {
orm over a period of years as to ra- Y
the Montana figures showing a
consistent growth after allowances i
or the period of readjustment which
oIlowed the abnormal wartime bust q
less. Lifting out the wartime years, ?
Iontana's railroad traffic shows an I
Uninterrupted and consistent growth. q
The greater volume of business t,
one by the roads operating through
is the so-called bridge traf- :.
which is business originating in 6
ither the east or west and transport !
d across the state, in most cases I
unloading or transfer. .
Congestion of traffic in the Il
lonths of the fall is due to the fact Il
hat, almost without exception, the e.
hinment of the urinciDal articles of ,r