The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-08-10


A noteworthy fact revealed by
this survey shows that shipments
during July Of this year were much
better than expected with an i'm
crease Of about IS per cent in auto
mobile car loadings over July Of
last year.
The new models provided the.
turning point in the last week Of
July, both as to production and
shipments. They converted a
month that would ordinarily have
| been q low point to one presenting
q favorable record.
Additional light is shed on cur
rent production schedules by the
survey which indicates that August
will show an increase Of shipments
OF about 20 per cent over August.
1895: and that September, the, last
month OF the present quarter,
should show a like gain.
Thus far this year, March has
enjoyed the honor Of peak auto
mobile shipments. If the promise
Of August is fulfilled. 1t will close
w approach the March record and
may surpass it, creating new high
water mark Of freight car ship
ments for any one month, and a
new monthly car manufacturing
production figure around 100000
cars and perhaps more.
With AN indicated increase OF
about 20 per cent in September
| shipments, production figures should
show relatively higher than q year
! ago.
Ford Activity
When Ford was at the height Of
1 activity, that factory's requirements
were about 5000 cars q month.
Present production at the Ford
plant has not yet reached appreci-
able proportions, but is certain to
do so about the end Of the present
quarter, and particularly during the
1 month of October. Ford business,
in the first month of the last
quarter, should prove considerable
contribution to railroad business and
bolster the usual fall decline in the
industry's total production figures.
Increased freight car require
ments during the balance Of the
quarter are predicted without a
doubt on a stepping up in prOduc-
| ton OF new models about to be an.
nounced and some possible price
cuts to come. Several OF the lead
i ing producers who are about to
bring out new body models are
now ready to swing into heavier
manufacturing schedules with con
sequent additional business for the
railroads.
The survey also shows that total
car requirements for the first six
months OF the year were about
three per cent under that of the
same months in 1926. This is part
ly explained by the decline in Ford
production and the employment OF
larger automobile freight cars by
the railroad transportation com
panies.
January. February, April, and
June, 1927, car loadings were under
| the same months OF last year with
March and May showing increases
over a year ago.
Car Loading Outlook
If August and September live up
to expectations and Ford prodpc-
ton attains big proportions in the
last quarter, total car loading and
production figures for the year
/ should surpass those OF 1926 in the
motor ear field with an important
bearing on the truck situation.
Indicated freight car require
ments in the automotive industry
fortify greatly the car need esti-
mates for the entire country which
indicate that the railroads will
have to furnish 416,197 cars more
this quarter than they did in the
same quarter Of 1926 to carry the
vast flood OF freight of all kind
required in the Nations business.
Every section OF the country
where motor car manufacturing
activities are felt as an influence
toward prosperity, report increased
freight car requirements for the
current quarter. These range from
an increase Of $40 OF one per cent
| to lit per cent.
The increased national demand
expressed In trainloads aggregates
{, 900 Of which q very large proper
tion will come to the railroads from
automobile centers because their
percentage OF freight car require
ments are more than twice as high
as the highest average figures m
dictated for any other commodity
] with the single exception Of cotton.