Show ON THE railei RAILROAD AD a C car 0 0 h shortage S h t w b od passes peak P av ilak NOVA r 00 r a g K s s ezo s qa AMA about the only good thing that can be said concerning the railroad freight car shortage Is that the worst is probably over but the pres ent inadequacy will hang on for a long time despite investigations programs and promises tor for several years there are actually about 41 fewer freight cars now than there were at the end of the war attempts to place the blame tor for the situation seem to be futile american railroads have had loo cars on order for some time car builders have declared that steel was not available A program dormit in february of this year called for an output of 7 new cars monthly by june and 10 by september the quota was not met and al though the steel industry says that it has supplied the necessary steel car builders contend that the short age still has not been completely cured there was one sign however that might indicate a turning of the tide in september the railroads reported 7 new installations which was more cars than were retired during that month small as it was it was the first net gain in 25 months col J monroe johnson director of the office of defense transports tran tion said he is proceeding under a white house directive to obtain d i rate of 15 cars monthly by july 1948 almost double the present out put he said he had commitments from the iron and steel institute for a 22 per cent increase in steel allot ments for new car production the car shortage has slowed down the country s economy at the peak of loadings in october the average daily shortage was 39 cars cur bently it is about 33 despite these shortages the rail roads are handling more carloads ol 01 revenue freight than they have since august 1930 when the number ol 01 available cars was greater than now |