Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-21
One of Remedies Suggest
ed to Prevent. Short
age in Supply
. AT CHICAGO HEARING
Stickney of Great Western
Comes Forward With
a Statement.

Chicago, Dec 21.-Interstate Com
merce Commissioners Harlan and Lane
concluded the inquiry in this city into
the causes of the car shortage today
and left for Washington. No addi-
tionaI facts were obtained today.
Many Remedies Suggested.
Remedies suggested by witnesses
during the hearing, for the relief of the
situation, are in effect as follows:
Establishment of a car clearing
house, with every railroad in the coun-
try a member, so a freight car would
be at home at any time, and available
whenever unlOaded.
Increase per diem charge to rail-
roads for retaining foreign cars beyond
a specified time limit
Fines for Failing TO Furnish.
Adoution of reciprocal demurrage
law requiring railroads TO pay pen
atty for failure 10 furnish cars to ship
pers within a reasonable time from
the date they are ordered.
Reduction of free time allowed to
shippers TO unload cars
Construction of new terminal facili-
ties by both railroads and shippers in
thickIy populated districts.
Result of Chicago Inquiry.
Chicago, Dec. 21.-The ruin which
the small shipper faces, the injury
which the big shipper is suffering on
account of car shortage and the efforts
the railroads are making TO meet phe-
nomenaI traffic conditions and profit
by the wealth of revenue that is being
offered them, were brought out in
sharp contrast yesterday before the in
terstate commerce commission meeting
in Chicago The hearing relative TO
car shortage and its causes and posi-
BILE remedies is being conducted by
Commissioners Lane and Harlan
Unable to Suggest Remedy.
Witness after witness testified to-
conditions which are now pretty gen
orally known, and railway men who
have attained more than national rep
utations as railroad operating men
frankly admitted they were unable to
suggest an adequate remedy. On the
one hand, the shipper. who is suffer
ing injury, if not being ruined, and the
industries which are being crippled
were shown, while in contrast with
this picture was revealed the great
railway systems of the country which
had been rebuilt in the last five years
at unheard of cost and which had or
dered equipment and power with a
lavishness almost passing belief.
So puzzling has become the situation
to shippers, to railroad men and to the
commission alike that Commissioner
Harlan declared it almost seemed that
the country is suffering from indigeS-
tion caused by too great prosperity.
south suffers Most.
Chicago. Dec. 21.-Comnissioners
Harlan and Lane of the interstate COM
merce committee yesterday continued
their investigation into the shortage
of cars on railroads which was begun
two weeks ago. W. b. Biddle vice
president of the Rock Island railroad,
declared the conditions in the south at
the present time are worse than those
in the north. This is caused, he said,
by inadequate terminal facilities in
the south.
81 believe" said Biddle, railroads
are doing everything in their power to
relieve existing conditions and the
fault lies mainly with the shippers
who. having inadequate storage facili-
ties at their places of business, use
cars for the purpose. In some cases
cars stand for weeks at a time at
terminals because of failure of ship
pers TO handle them quickly
Others Have Cars.
He said his company had about 81
600 freight cars, and that from 40 to
A per cent of them are always in pos
session of other companies. Other
cars have been ordered, but it is inn
possible. he said. for makers cf cars
to keep up with the demand for freight
equipment
Stickney Heard From.
Washington. Dec. 21.-President A.
B. Stickney of the Chicago Great West
ern railroad has submitted some inter
esting facts to the interstate commerce
commission bearing on the distance
travelled and the time consumed in |
hauling and in loading and unloading |
freight cars, which he regards of i'm |
portance in connection with any legis- |
lation which may be considered rel
garding the car shortage question. In J