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Show AIIGUT CAR SHORTAGE. In the prr.spiit car crisis the value of: tin! interstate commiT'-i! i-omniissinn must lie rcali.eti by tin- eeueral public. The interference of slate commissions cannot .solve the prohleni. Tt is a problem prob-lem that is as bie; as the country and must bo dealt vith in a national way. State commissions can only muddle the situation with conflicting orders. The wisdom of the orders issued .by "the interstate commission are, of course, often to question, especially the order re'ardiu empty cars which lias just been sent out. Another order, issued some time apo, has already done much k'ood. It provides for increased demurrage demur-rage charges, which make it costly to bold freight equipment beyond the regular reg-ular free time allowed. This constrains the consignees to unload promptly ami return the equipment for further use. The abuses in the use of cars have impelled the commission to issue the order as to empties, and yet there is a very real objection to the order in normal nor-mal times. The railroads havo a rule which requires that empties shall be loaded for ''home" or in the direction direc-tion of home. If all equipment must now lie returned to the owner roads the railroads are apt to become con-X con-X tested with eniptv cars, whereas un-. un-. iler the regular rulo the ears would be giadually sent in the direction of home with full freight loads. The commission commis-sion found the railroads, especially the eastern roads, breaking their own rule, for instead of loading empties in the direction of home they appropriated all cars for use in their own territory. At present a readjustment such as the commission com-mission commands should work for the benefit of the west. " The coal shortage undoubtedly is due, in some measure at least, to the delay in handling fuel shipments until the movement of fuel became absolutely necessary. Being short of cars the railroads rail-roads all over the country used their equipment in the summer and early fall tor all classes of freight except fuel. Whether this was a grave offense is a matter of opinion when all the evidence has been adduced, it must bo remembered remem-bered that the railroads have been besieged be-sieged on all sides to move the freight requiring immediate, shipment. Last August, for example, there was a surplus sur-plus of freight, perishable and other, that called for immediate shipment. In such a dilemma were the railroads to transport that freight or to transport ioal? Another element which has handicapped handi-capped the roads has been the unusually-severe unusually-severe winter all over the country. They gambled on an open winter and lost. To the credit of some of the roads, bowever, it must be snid that thev imposed im-posed embargoes of their own so as to regulate the shipment of freight in a reasonable manner. Less conscientious companies opened their lines to the banned classes of freight. Tho car shortage has been caused by the titanic increase, in exports, the withdrawal of ships from the Pacific coastal trade, the obstruction of the Panama canal, and the increase in the prices of agricultural products. The effect of reduced shipping iu the Pacific coast trade was to shift thousands thou-sands of tons of lumber, dried fruits and farm products from ocean transportation transpor-tation to the railways. High prices of agricultural products had an odd. but perfect'y natural, economic effect. The farmers and stock raisers, desirous of gainieg the full advantage of the higher prices, rushed their products to market. mar-ket. One hundred per cent of the crops was offered to the railroads this year during the period in which -0 per cent of the crops was offered lat ear. If will be spen that the causes of the shortage are well distribute'!, aud the blame likewise. The railroads have done much to relieve the eon::eion. In !15 10..7S2 cars were ordered. The JJailway Age Gazette estimate? that up to December l.. 1016, new freight cars to tho number of :V","7l5 had been ordered. or-dered. Twenty thousand more were ordered or-dered in the last tuo weeks of Pecem-brr Pecem-brr and undoubtedly some thousands i'l j .lauuary. : Months will pass bc'we ail J of these car- are delivered, but alrea.ly j thouf.'in'ls ha i . 1 11 Wi "re. I . are ; iu service. The jailiuadi hu o morii' . ars I .,.!;. v I ha n n rr and tie v ha e : realer problem to inert ;h;!e eve-. Ilj i , quite lil- ,.y that -t ear ' m-v v. ; 1 ' i no'. II. e, I all the ear- they n:l ,. ui. (. i.. I. |
