Show AND OPERATING advocates of private ownership of railroads are finding a strong argument for their position in the fact that the year has witnessed almost if not quite as largo an increase in freight business as ever occurred in the history of the country while at tit the same time the nation has been given the benefit of probably the greatest increase in operating efficiency in the history of its railways it is pointed out our that between 1910 and 1913 the increase in freight bust ness was about 47 billion tons carried one anile and between 1923 and 1916 about 45 billion tons carried one mile these are the largest increases in freight business that ever occurred in the past saps the railway age the increase between 1920 and 1923 is is comparable with that between 1910 and land 1913 and that bet between vicen 1913 and 1916 the bus business theas of the car ear 1920 broke all records and aas as followed in 1921 1021 and 1922 by a heavily reduced traffic up lip to and including the week ended july 21 this year the number of ot car of freight loaded was as 11 per cent n greater than in the corresponding P adi nr part of 1920 1020 in the first four months of the car ear an increase of 11 4 per cent in car loadings re suited in an increase of 10 per cant in tons toms carried one mile milf ft it is i reason able to L conclude therefore that the number of tons carried one mile in the first sei en months of the present year exceeded the ton mileage of the corresponding months of 1920 by 10 per tent ent if the traffie of the entire year should be 10 per cent greater than that of 1920 1020 the total increase over 1920 would be te about 45 billion a ton roiley which would closely ap the previous record increases in aim almost oat all past year years traffic h hae as steadily increased until it reach ed it its maxi maximum muni in tit the late summer and early fall months the largest freight busi business ever handled in four months of any previous ear was in to july august september and october 1920 1020 total car loading loadings in irk these months being ib it ie Is inter esing fact that the total car loadings in the four months ended on 21 were slightly large larger than in n lovse previous bleak break ios ing umer and a nd fall month months of 1920 being IGA ar perhaps Pey hapa the mot most remar remarkable remark abc kabe fact relative to the largely increased freight business being handled juif h year yeat ie is that in inspire spite bf tt it the car thor shortage ih tage which ch existed early in the them year has been chanced changed la to a car surplus ur which la Is steadily increasing in pat past year years of 0 beav heavy y business busi nesa euch such as 1916 and 1920 the large increases in traffic resulted in car shortages on september 1 1920 1020 for example the car shortage reported wa was about car cars on the other hand while in the early part of the year 1923 1023 there was a car shortage ehor taRe in the week ej ended july uly 21 when hen total ear car loading loadings amounted to cars the highest record ever made in any week there was a net surplus of 0 almost cars the reason for the success succor of the railway railways in handling euch such a largely increased traffic without any ear car shortage cannot be found in tho the increase increate in their facilities which has as occurred since 1920 because the increase in facilities has been small the explanation Is to be found in a remarkable and perhaps unprecedented increase in transportation efficiency detailed operating statistics stati stice arc am available only for the first four months of 1923 but these when compared with statistic statistics for the corro corre i part of ol 1920 are sufficient to tell the tory story thy thu average number of ton tons car ned rw one mile daily by each car increased from to or almost 15 per cent the average milc miles traveled by each car daily increased creased over 19 per cent the average number of fats hauled in n each frelent train in creased 10 per cent tie teree tone tons per train In increased creAted amas W 71 to making ro akin a new high aff fee ihli this time of year |