The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-08-27
ALL SIGNS! POINT
To INCREASED
BUSINESS
Large Volume of Summer
Freight Shipments Indica-
ton of Prosperity
By RICHARD HATTON

Dyan1OQAfSD K1AI1OTN
Business +optifnfsts are finding
considerable. ground for confirma-
ton of their. position in the great
numbers of people who are taking
advantage of the. summer months
to travel by rail or by auto and
are strengthening this confirmation
by pointing to the exceptionally
large volume OF freight shipments
rs reported by the railroads.
AS one Washington banker, who
keeps a. constant eye upon all ma
tional movements and events which
bear upon the general economic
situation Of the country, stated the
case today: THE American people
are on the move this summer to a
greater degree than ever before and.
this certainly indicates that there
Is large amount of surplus cash
available for pleasure. IL this is
the case, it is obvious that business
- goods that is, the business man
and those who work for the bust
ness man are both earning more
than they are spending. This.
means good times
From preliminary estimates made
by the railroad statisticians it seems
certain that the number Of pas.
sengers carried during the vacation
months viii far exceed any previous
record The same record breaking
report Is evident from pre-.
urinary survey OF the books Of
state and national automobile or.
eanlzatlons and other sources en-
Raged in checking up auto travel.
while, 1t is stated, steamship and
steamboat -.lines engaged in pas
senger and freight service are ex.
perdencing record season.
More Freight Being Shipped
One very noticeable feature OF
the general movement OF people
and commodities during the sum
mer months, and one which points
with unerring finger to prosperous
business in all sections of the coun-
Try, Is the abnormal amount of
Helsnt shipments reported during
Wnat Is generally, considered a dufl
freight period. It has been the
custom for many years to sea
decided drop in freight Shipments
In the summer, but this wear the
slump has failed to appear On the
contrary, for the week endinc
August s, loading Of revenue freighf
In the United States totaiIed
1,O51.6l1 cars. This, it is stated. is !
the greatest number of cars loaded |
during the previous week. 1t was.
also, the fourth consecutive week
during the year in which Toadinss
nave exceeded the million car mark. |
1t may be remarked in passing and
as added evidence of the present
trend OF business, that this was the |
only first week in August in which
the million car mark has been ex-
ceeded. There could be no stronger
evidence than this as to the present
'aliveness" OF the nations business.
Much Of the shipments which
have gone to make up the record
report of car loadings has been !
merchandise and, as it was not by /
any means all merchandise designed
Tor fall and winter trade the
assumption Is warranted that bust .
ness conditions have been SO gen
orally good that the increased ship
ments have resulted. !
Good Year For Railroads !
There is an old; old business belief :
that, when the carriers are crowded |
the general economic condition of |
the country is in good shape, that .
the railroad shipments may be !
taken as a criterion of business !
generally. It has already been /
clearly indicated that this is going |
TO be a good year for the railroad |
companies, both as regards freight !
shipments and passenger travel |
The following figures are the basis /
for the above prediction: For the |
first thirtg.t weeks OF 1925, end !
ing August g., the loading of revenue
freight has amounted to 3O,2S0.136
cars as against 2S,597 ,081 cars in
the same period of 1924. /
Taking the year 1925 up 20 the !
present time, and with special COM /
ment upon the sustained summer |
freight shipments and the augment |
ed passenger traffic, it has been a !
banner transportation year. This /
means, not only prosperity for the |
carriers, rail, water and auto, hut |
ii indicates that the people in gen. |
eral have a surplus and, possibly |
mae important as business barom- |
eter, it indicates that the sur j
plus is being spent and that it will |
continue to he spent so long as
conditions make it possible to OBJ /;
tain the surplus.
AS there seems no present Indica- !
ton that there will be any serious
economic setback, the prediction of
a continuation of the present pros !
porous period over the fall and !
winter months. which is being so
freely made by economists, fin
anciers, producers and sellers is
based upon q foundation so solid
and so. reasonable as to be alb
Solutely unassaiiable.
Wisdom" declare the heads of
banks and mercantile houses,
reasonable expansion, optimism,
advertising and merchandising are
all that is necessary at the pres
ent time to carry the present ex-
ceptional period on through the
winter"
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