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Show o H ' CONGESTED RAILROADS. B A railroad man says that never in his experience has B he seen conditions on the railroads so tied up as they are B at this present time. Freight trains are so slow coming B through that many manufacturers send all their smaller B deliveries by express. B Freight and express business calls for strong and B husky men, so it is performed largely by young men. It B taken a fellow with some elasticity of muscle to handle B I)ig boxes. B. Now conies the draft and calls out a big share of these B -vigorous young men, depleting the freight and express B terminals. Meanwhile a big share of the young men from B offices, factories, and stores, who live under conditions B not conducive to physical strength, are escaping service, B since the exemption boards won't pass them on account of physical disability. This leaves the railroads terribly handicapped in trying to handle the enormous strain of war business, with every factory jumping to fill orders. B Of course the general shortage of railroad equipment is aggravating this situation. The people with money to B Invest have become sore on the railroad stocks, claiming B that under the strict government control now existing B Shere is not much chance to make money in buying their B securities. The railroads finding it difficult to get money, B are not increasing their facilities as they ought to. B Meanwhle manufacturers who can't get raw material B and merchants who can't get shipments, are pawing up K the earth and uttering loud imprecations about freight K: delays. It would help some if every man who has a ship- B pent of goods will take away his stuff the day it comes B In, so that cars can be released and sent off where most B' "needed. ,! i n BBBBT |