Car Loadings

Prime statistic is the weekly figure on car-loadings, vital index of the nation’s business. Fruit from California and Florida, motor cars from Detroit, coal from Pennsylvania, textiles from New England, clothing from New York, cotton from the South, wheat from the West—all commodities move, and move largely by rail. High car-loadings show brisk business, efficient carriers. Pleased was the American Railway Association last week to announce that car-loadings for the first 26 weeks of 1929 made an all-time record for loadings for the first half of any year. Loadings for the week ended June 29 were also highest figures ever recorded for any week in the first six months of any year. Loadings for first 26 weeks totaled 25,596,938 cars. Loadings for week ended June 29 totaled 1,095,724 cars. Figures showing increases over 1928 and 1927 follow:

1927 1928 1929 Loadings 1st

24 weeks. 25,521,040 24,461,773 25,590,938 Loadings for June ,1,995,854 4,924,115 5,200,571