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Show ' RAILWAYS POOL FACILITIES TO 1 1NJHE IR All Lines East of Chicago to Be Operated as One to Relieve the Freight Congestion. MEASURES AGREED ' UPON IN COUNCIL . i Railroads War Board and Heads of Government De-partments De-partments Take Part in Conference. ; By International Newa Service. .WASHINGTON, Nov. 24. To relieve the tremendous freight congestion, all j railroads east of Chieago'will pool their! facilities. ! This action was decided upon this aft- ! - ernoon. at a conference between the; railroads war board and heads of gov-1 eminent departments. I At once the following reforms will be; put into effect; j 1 All facilities, including shops and supplies east of Chicago will be pooled.' 2 AM the open top ( freight care at home" on eastern lines will be pooled and, redistributed pro rata on a basis of tonnage carrying, capacity of the pool. 3 All freight that can be handled by , any open route will be diverted from congested lines. 4 All coal supplies will be pooled wherever practicable. 5 The fuel administration will be asked to supply coal markets from the nearest lines instead of from longer dis- . lances. ti Request will be made that the demands de-mands fur preferential shipments be reduced. re-duced. The programme to relieve congestion will be conducted by a committee of operating vice presidents of the eastern lines which will meet here Monday and formulate more detailed plan. Agreed Upon in Conference. The measures advocated today were agreed upon by the war board, aided by Fairfax Harrison and Dr. H. A. Gar- field, federal fuel administrator. Kd-ward Kd-ward N. Hurley, chairman of the United Slates shipping board; Robert S. Lovett, Uie government priority director, and Commissioner Kdgar K. Clark of the interstate commerce commission. In addition to the steps which will be taken at once, other definite changes in the situation will be made as soon as possible. The fuel administration has been asked to .survey contracts and methods of purchase and shipment of coal. Another survcv will be made of all government requirements involving the movement of raw materials, so that congestion will not occur on lines or in terminals. Western railways that are nut congested will be asked to send their locomotives, employees and tools' to pastern lines and their repair shops i will he used for repairing eastern equipment. equip-ment. The railways war board asked that I large induf-tries not be established in the east until it is realized what the railway condition is in that part of the country. I Part of the official statement issued to-j to-j day says: I "The concentration in certain parts of the eastern territorv of vast governmental govern-mental and industrial activities has overtaxed the capacity of rail lines in that territory, considering the heavy movement of coal and other heavy commodities com-modities which formerly moved on coastwise vessels, but has now been thrown upon the railroads, the heavy military and civilian travel, etc. "Further enterprises involving large operations in the use of coal and other heavy commodities should not be established estab-lished in that territory except after full consideration of these conditions." Another exteremelv interesting situation situa-tion is that foodstuffs and -that other materials be exported from southern and gulf ports "to as larye a degree as compatible com-patible with the public interest." Garfield Working Upon Plans. The statement says that the railways will co-operate in pooling coal, which will, without doubt, make large additional addi-tional savings. Dr. Garfield is already working out his plans. Discontinuance of preferential shipments ship-ments is urged because "preference to any class of car3 or freight results in a slowing down of operation of the transportation trans-portation machine; a constant flow of all traffic concurrently produces the best transportation results." The report ' also says "the eastern railways are in serious need of more men and special measures may be necessary neces-sary to provide them." 'there is no doubt that the railwal board knows what it is undertaking. It terms its measures "drastic" and ' ' revolutionary. " Its report says that the roads "Trill be operated as a unit, entirely regardless of the ownership and individual interests." inter-ests." and that the operating committee commit-tee may adopt "all measures necessary to relieve the present situation and assure as-sure the maximum amount of transportation. transpor-tation. ' ' |