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Show RAILWAYS W PRIDRTY ORDERS Committee Operating the Roads Believes It Can Best Clear the Congestion. WASHINGTON, Doe. 1. Confusion that has developed over requests from arions government quarters for priority prior-ity of shipment for food, fuel and munitions mu-nitions appeared far front cleared up tonight after on ail-day conference between be-tween government beads and railroad war board officials. An order draw n up by Kobert liOvett. director ot pnorit;, direclir I thai Jood. fuel ami munitions be put in a special classit i'-ation for movement Ahead of general freight, was held up at the ant minute and it was indicated t hat the whole question would be referred re-ferred to the interdepartmental war council for a decision Monday. The counci 1 was formed last week of de- , part meat heads and chairmen of gov- eminent boards and commissions. to ; iake un problems of the sort. j No announcement was made after the conference, but it wn learned that! the fond and fuel administration have I reached an agreement as to prefer"1 n- i t ial movement for food and fuel, and j that each is willing that the two be classed together along with war supplies. sup-plies. Vigorous object ion. however, it was said, came from the railroad board against anv general priority order, 'i he railroads, thev hold, best can clear the present freight congestion through their pool. A general priori tv order for anv part icnlar commodity or any l pronp. thev said, further would complicate compli-cate the situation. Coal, they declared, j already is becinning to move under the ! unofficial arrangement made by the j eastern operating committee which puts coal ahead of general freight. Tho food and fuel administrations, it was made clear tonight, are ready to insist thr.t coal and foodstuff1 be' put on a. preferential list by government order, holding that only in this way i can their prompt movement be assured.) |