The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-10-12
NO RELIEF AS YET
FROM the CAR FAMINE
Appeal for Aid to Commercial Club Has
Been Forwarded to Assistant
of President.

| ne coIuiIluHs Coipldileu VI ny snip
pers and growers on account of scarcity
of cars. reviewed in the Herald last week,
has been brought to the attention of the
Yakima Commercial club and that body
petitioned to put forth an effort to OBJ
tain relief by communicating with the
officials of the railroad and through its
influence securing relief from the car
famine. The matter was presented in
the form of a petition. reading as fol-
lows:
Our warehouses are full and the SUR
plus is being piled along the tracks of
the Northern Pacific railway exposed
to the elements and other dangers. Our
customers are demanding that their con-
tracts be filled and we are threatened
with great financial loss by reason of our
inability to carry out our contracts. Our
customers are beginning to look to
other points to supply their needs and
if this valley looses its present markets
it will be exceedingly hard to regain
them.
"The facts are that it frequently oc-
ours on certain days that not single
car is assigned to any shipper, while
each one actually needs for the proper
handling of his business, not less than
five cars per day.
1--WE are paying hundreds of thou
sands of dollars annually to the farm
ers of this valley, a large portion of
which is expended in the city of North
Yakima and we think the representative
citizens of this community should help
us to keep the business we have estab-
lished by securing, if possible, proper
traffic facilities at this point.
''Be cause of our inability to get pro-
duce to market severe hardship is en-
tailed upon us and others so that vir-
tually we are prohibited from transact
ing business in this valley
The Northern Pacific railway is aware
of the annual shortage of cars but takes
no steps to abate it.
each year the condition that con-
fronts the shippers is more and more
aggravated.
The growth of the country has far
exceeded the growth of the railway IA
cilities.
I'VE bring this matter to your atten-
ton in the hopes that your influence
will be brought to bear in the proper
direction and secure for us proper ship
ping facilities.
Signed: Coffin Bros, Yakima Gro
Gerry Co., r. S. Morgan, Yakima Produce
Co., L. I. Castor & Co., Albert S. Cong
don, A. Elliott & Sons, Bounds & Meyer,
j. NJ. Perry & Co., Ryan & Newton, In
land Commercial Co., Mckee Co., by d.
Lesh, president
This appeal was forwarded to c. NJ.
Levy. assistant president oft he North
ern Pacific, whose headquarters are in
Tacoma. Mr.. Levy was absent from
Tacoma, but mis- chief clerk has written
to Fred Chandler, secretary of the Com
mercial club, as follows:
Dear Sir:-This is to acknowledge
receipt of your letter with petition from
shippers of North Yakima for better car
supply, which l have forwarded to Mr..
levy at st. Paul, where he will be for
short time. This matter of car short
| a ls =
and Is having the earnest attention of
this company, who are doing everything
possible to secure an adequate supply of
cars, and to distribute those we are able
to secure fairly and equitably between
different shipping pionts."
The matter will, therefore, remain in
its present status until Mr. Levy can be
heard from, and even longer unless he
| is able and disposed to take some steps
for the relief of the shippers of this sec
ton. The inability of the shippers to
get the necessary cars reflects directly
on the producer, especially in cases
where the product being neld is of such
a nature that its immediate marketing
is necessary The hay market is in de-
plorable condition. with the prospects in
favor of its continuing so or becoming
worse, whereas there is an immense hay
crop, and orders are coming from all
sources for big shipments at good prices.
With the time at hand for shipping win