Evening star., 1925-07-19
NEAR
NEW HIGH POINT.
Freight Traffic Figures Show
Nations Business in
2
Steady Advance.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Save for the single year of 1923
railroad earnings apparently have
climbed higher during the first six
months of 1926 than at any time since
Americas entry into the war. Five
months returns are compiled the
sixth month, June. is engaging the at
tention ef transportation auditors the
country over and the story It has
told, in dollars and cents, will be
known within a fortnight
There seems every reason to beileve1
that the June returns. will swell rail-
road earnings, considering only those
roads which do a 81 900 600 business
annually, to n postwar record, 1923 ex-
cluded, of $40 .000, 900 or more for the
first half of the year. In. 1923 earn
ings rose. between January and June
inclusive. to $445. 900 900, but for the
same period last year they dropped TO
$3.50, 0,9S3,S57.
Totals Surprising.
Within the week the American Rail
way Association has compiled figures
covering revenue freight hauled dur
ing the first half Of 1925. They run
to new record Of almost / 900 900
cars week. on the average. for each
of the 70 weeks. They indicate that
earnings viii keep pace with them
passing by a considerable margin the
65,O00,000 net income of June, 1924.
and possibly mounting close to the
record for the month Of more thar,
$S8.000, 600 in June, 1923.
If the figures only equal those OF
last year the S410 000, 900 net income
for the half year will be attained, for
! earnings during the first five months
! of 1925, the records show, ran to a
| net of S345,880,34l. This was nearly
$2O,000,0 600 more than the amount for
! the corresponding period in 1924, bur
81 0n0 0n0 laSG ho ha Grg+ G--o
months Of 1923. All indications. how
ever, are that last months earnings
| will surnaSs those Of the precedine
! June.
Business Is Looking Up.
Business throughout the United
/ States, measured by this almost in
fallible barometer. therefore is look
ing up. 1t was much better during
/ the first five months of this year than
for the corresponding period. taking
! it as a whole, in 1924. Judged bv
che amount of freight hauled during
the first six months of this year, we
! have reached the high tide of our ma
! tional prosperity. for never before
has freight rolled in such mountain
! Gus volume over steel rails and ties
J The freight volume figures surpass
/ those Of the fever of war time, ex-
/ ceiling the movement during the
/ hectic months when munitions and
! war supplies were sweeping in record
! volume TO the seaboard. Earnings.
! however, appear to have been eclipsed
/ by those of 1916. when the roads
! put more than $1,000, 100000 net profit
| into their pockets.
] 1916 Record May Fall.
| The 1916 record viii fall if the coun-
/ try maintains its present degree of
/ prosperity. That much Is clearly indi
( Gated by net earnings for the first
! five months and prospective net earn
/ ings for June.
Conditions in the railroad field, as
4 elsewhere, are Spotty. The near
/ bankruptcy of the union part of the
/ soft-coaI industry has left its smudge
/ on the record of some of the larger
I coal-carrying roads.
/ Inversely, carriers serving the non
/ union fields are rolling in rich re
! turns.
Copyright. 1922 ...