The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-10-20
FREIGHT CAR FAMINE.
Railroad Companies Can't Handle
the Increased Business.

: CFlCAGC, OCT. 70, 13J6.-PreSidents of
the Western roads meet here today 10 con-
slider the proposed reorganization of the
Western Freight Association and the
Western Trunk Line COMMITTEES (old
Union League Agreement, with view
oI securing better maintenance of
rates in the future. When the traffic
olncialS agreed upon a general advance
N rates week ago, to become. effective
November 2 it was believed to be abso-
lutely necessary for the presidents and
executive officers TO settle the old dispute
regarding the eyening-up Of percentages
under the old Union League agreement
before the new rates could be put in
erect Since then, the situation has
completely changed and an immense ex-
port demand for grain has sprang UP, and
the rise IN the market prices has been
phenomenal. The adoption of a new agree
ment 10 secure the maintenance of ra tes is
no longer necessary. What is most need
ed ls cars to carry the. grain. An ad-
vance IN rates now is deemed absolute
" necessary by the railway managers, to
Keep them from being swamped with busi-
ness. They also think that in view Of
the enormous advance in grain rates,
tney are entitled to more remuneratiye
rates than they have been getting here
tofor
For these reasons, it hardly is possible
that any action will be taken by the
Presidents today to settle the old dis
putes- The indications are that the Pres
idents viii simply order the advance in
the tariffs to be put in effect at the date
named and instruct the traffic officials to
nave. them firmly maintained and leave
the formation of a new organization to
the future.
East bound shipments of dead freight
from Chicago and Englewood took a big
Jump last week as compared with the
preceding aggregate being 1866 tons, as
against 5l,520 for the preceding seven
days Grain shipments TO the Atlantic
seaboard increased last week nearly IA 600
tons, packing house shipments about 6.009
tons, dressed beef fresghts about 40DO
tons, butter about 1000 tons and lumber
about 1900 tons
The Iowa Railroad Commissioners were
IN session at Des Moines yesterday, hav-
ing been called together in part To- con-
slider complaint of lack of cars which have
@ eeen coming from all parts of the State
for two weeks. The Commission has
been for fortnight trying to impress on
the roads the necessity for giving better
service, but the roads declare that their
utmost efforts will not begin to meet the
demand They assure the Commission
that they are neglecting other business
and sending thousands Of empty cars
into the State daily.
car famine is reported on all the
railroad lines centering in Kansas City.
one line alone, the Burlington, being
snort over one thousand cars; the Sante
tse and Rock Island are also unable to
supply the demand upon them. On the
Cuff lines the movement of grain for ex-
port have been the heaviest ever before
known and the lines are swamped with
bl.S'pess which thew are unable % h7ncie
According to q report from Omaha the
freight car famine has not yet assumed
dangerous proportions in Nebraska OF.
adjacent territory except in Iowa and
Kansas. Orders have gone out from the
local headquarters of the Union Pacific.
Burlington and Elkhorn Roads, to rush
the unloading of cars TO facilitate traffic.
The different roads entering Cleveland
have had some trouble in the last few
days in securing cars TO handle their.
business. The Pennsylvania was short OF
to carry the heavy shipments.