Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
Railroads Are Carrying
Record Freight This Year
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Railroads Of the United States are
steaming toward new high records in
freight traffic, an indication of bust
ness and industrial activity all the more
conclusive when 1t is considered that
q greater volume Of short-haul freight
is being transported by motor trucks
than ever before.
Every section of the country, divided
for railroad accounting purposes into
volume of business by the carriers,
compared with 1928. The Southern
district had somewhat slow start, but
at the moment is succeeding In passing
last years figures.
Reports received by the car service
division Of the American Railway AS
ISOLATION for the first 81 weeks Of the
year, ended September II, show total
loadings of revenue freight for the
1929 period to aggregate 1851 900 cars,
an increase Of 1,627,000 cars, or As per
cent, over the corresponding period OF
1928; an increase Of 591, 900 cars, or
1.6 per cent, over 1927. and an increase
Of 293,000 cars, or nearly .08 per cent,
above the first 81 weeks of 1926, a year
Of widespread industrial activity.
In this showing, each OF the seven
districts records an increase above last
year, with the exception Of the South
ern, which lags behind only 10 cars,
and since It shows total of 1851 1872
moved in the period this year and with
q steady increase in the last few weeks
It unquestionably will show an increase
over 1923 in that district, too.
Details Of the statistics disclose an
increased loading revenue freight in
seven Of the eight classifcations over
corresponding figures for 1928, live
stock alone recording a decrease with
less than a million carloads, for the
first time in some years. The distri-
button Of manufactured goods is rep
resented by the miscellaneous" and
merchandise less than carloads" clas-
sifications, which two reflect in general
activity in wholesale and retail trade.
Both Of these classifications show in
creases over the corresponding period
of 1878 and miscellaneous" Is setting
an all-time record for the country Is a
whole.
Contrasting the first 81 weeks Of this
year with the corresponding period OF
the active year 1926, grain and grain
products, ore and miscellaneous reve-
nue. freight loadings record increase,
while livestock. coal, coke, forest prod
ucts and less than carload merchandise
show decreases, the grand total, how
ever, being an increase.
These figures Of loading Of revenue
freight reflect activity Of freight move
ment originating on the lines OF the
reporting carriers, but do not coincide
with statistics of rail haulage OF freight.
which are based upon the weight ana
the distance hauled.
X y II II
In terms of met ton miles" the record
of 1929 Is even more impressive, mdi-
eating that q large proportion OF the
loadings this year are being transported
considerable distances. The Bureau OF
Railway Economics announced this
week that In the first seven months this
year, the latest period for which figures
are available, the class railroads Of
the country handled the greatest volume
Of freight of any corresponding period.
This volume for the 1929 period was
280, 430, 978, 900 net ton miles, an in
crease Of per cent over the previous
high record for the first seven months
Of the year, established In 1927, and
an increase Of 6.6 per cent above the
corresponding period Of 1928, an In
crease In which every district particle
pated. 49,
The rail carriers are moving this
record freight without any sign OF seri-
Gus car shortage and with an efficiency
which makes two cars perform the
service that three formerly were re-
Quired to do In some cases.
Despite the heavy freight movement,
fewer cars and locomotives are In use
than ut any time since ls2a, due largely