Business: Freight-Loading Records

While different industries enjoy varying degrees of prosperity, the traffic on the rails indicates that a large volume of business is being carried on. During the week ending September 27, five new high records were hung up by freight loadings in this country.

The total for the week of 1,087,447 cars, to begin with, is the highest for this year and third highest in the history of the country. Grain loadings at 69,289 cars constituted a new high record for all time. Loadings for miscellaneous freight at 405,436 is another such record; and merchandise loadings at 258,458 cars is a third. Lastly, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 1,013,184 loaded and empty cars were handled.

Yet, as in 1923, this extraordinarily heavy traffic has been handled without confusion, delay or breakdown. Facilities and equipment have apparently at all times been entirely adequate. The huge purchase of equipment by the roads in the last few years, coupled with large sums spent on maintenance of way, have made this record possible.