New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
rlg SHORTAGE RELIEF
,p HzNSBROUGHS PLANS
n.sss~encss suith President-A. B.
.stickneg GiUes VieSCs.
run Ths Tnbune Bur-aa.I J

rr-cm The Tribune Bureau
xa,,ston. Dec. 1e-The President. the In
-. Commerce Commission. various mem
:, the Senate and House, and big railroad
.seorsr,es are an getting their heads together
~ the blame for the shortage Of cars which
using suffering n the Dalrotas and other
-,.v,st states ana 20 devise a remedy. Gov
- r1,u1uins OF Iowa and Senator Hans
- Of North Dakota. had interviews with
y r-assdeuf on the subject to-day. and each
. ths blame on the railroads.
a esickney. president Of the Chicago &
=. western Railway. who is in Washington,
-. = lsrter % the Interstate Commerce Com
- "a which he accuses the business men
=, snap and receive freight OF being IN large
y. -,sponsibls for fhe distress IN the North
~sr
"a. -rarshouszs 20 take care OF the freight
-, ,1r,ss 20 eh--a." said Nj stickney, n ex-
-,,-sus his views 20 representative OF The
--r--aa ~thers VII be shortage OF cars. No
60 how many cars the railroads buy and
y. ,,.o service. II they are sidetracked and held
- ssyz ana weeks at the terminal poi1ts there
Fl never be enough OF them 20 satisfy the
.~-saa FOR every day that a car is actually
-zvell,ng. statistics prove It is held up nine
A. ,oaeing and unloading It is evident that
> vouia be equivalent TO doubling the number
= rs~s available. which would be more than
,-@seut Both the railroad and the shipper
A-,I6 be held responsible under whatever new
...saa.ion ts 70 be enacted 70 cure the evil.
sos course. some railroads are TO blame for
- moving the cars as rapidly they ought
q ,ovs them but the business interests are not
s~s,.nr pace with the Improvements IN trans
.,ratton- Z takes shippers days 20 unload the
-, wher they ought TO do the work IN the
,,-,a number Of hours. There ought 70 be q law
-e,,h would give the consignees a reasonable
.-s within which TO free the cars, and upon
..s,- failure 70 attend 10 the business. turn the
4-sght over 70 public warehouses;
TERMINAL FACILITIES POOR
NJ stickneys letter 70 the Interstate Com
=. Commission he mentioned Tight loading
,,. Of the important causes OF the shortags.
: .ss -four trade Il was once the custom 20
-.v,-s 24OOO pounds as q car load, and al
..,rrb the average capacity has since been IN
..ssss 70 6O0O0. many shippers refuse 70 place
.,-a tha-. =. 600 pounds Of -four in car. Mr..
o--r7sv wrote that there are ct Galveston 5000
,,-z awaiting the pleasure OF the consignees II
-.-u-es to-ry-fou- miles q track 70 hold these
Is and the process of getting them out is
,.z-1t The tine required for sorting and IN
,,.s.nr a car IN Galveston is from thirty TO fifty
s,-, n Chicago. NJ. Stickney says, II requires
.,,, ts- 70 twenty Gays for a car 70 be trans
..-es ron an incoming 70 an outgoing train
=, ,-oss,v inadequate are the transfer facilities
here"
a. s-4-rpsv says that several years ago
-, g, Chicago acquired several thousand acres
> lsnd then tavorably located, for transfer
,,,r,-,ss. ~and expended several millions OF
s,us-s n .-nrroveuenrs. under the direction
s-s advice q the committee appointed oy the
,Hesls n the various railways centred In CHI
-, Having gone so far, he offered the prop
s-v 70 tie railroad companies al actual COST
s5s,lursy without profit 70 himself or his as
so-atss. ether than per cent interest on the
rorev which they had expended About one
half of ne roads have accepted the proposition
and pait II their proportion OF the money, and
The other hair. for various petty reasons apply
ng 10 details. refuse 70 Join. and so the old
-gboss are continued at great expense 70 the
-saroaa companies and with enormous delays
h r-a.5c."
N- srtclzrey figures out that the effectiveness
q Ire present supply Of cars cap be doubled ny
REASONABLE diligence on the part Of shippers
snd corsguees" To purchase an equal num-
bsr q cars would cost 1880 100000, and that
a. per cent would add 70 their fixed charges
ne enormous sum OF S54. 100000 annually TO be
collected from the people n additional rates.
1rR EEANsBROUGHs PLAN.
After visiting the President to-day Senator
Eansbrourt said. "One reason for the car
shortage is t1zt there are too many big railroad
nen sr-u--tzg about the hotels in dress suits in
Eead OF attending to business. II the Inter
state Commerce Commission had power 10 order
cars from one part OF the country 70 another
where. in its Judgment the cars are needed. the
shortage would very soon disappear"
Senator Eausbrough showed 70 the President
tentative bin which would give the Interstate
Commerce Cauuission the necessary authority
20 investigare order and enforce its orders along
those lines. He also suggested that penalty be
hXe6 20 compel couslglees TO free cars received
within & reasonable time Governor Cunamins
Of Iowa agreed with Senator Hansbrough's plan'
and urged The President TO use his influence 70
secure Tie passage Of "a measure incorporating
ihe Senators ideas
H. EaIscrough's plan provides legislation
along the following lines
Giving tae Interstate Commerce. Commission
poWer i-c- -5re the equipment capacity under
sfsss q eZ-raorc-1ary eg--relents Of all inter
uate ra--Wags So as 10 Judge their ability TO
move Crat5- under extraordinary conditions
Swing me commission authority 10 require ship
. -e.--S cars ~ ceif-IIae1 70 ~4ioac ana re-
20 sle a-rs within twenty-foUr hours after the
- nave teel placed II q position 10 ue OnIoaded.
.---1-ng i- = IisceLlealor Lor common carriers
y e4lDe -ra--ueu 10 attempt 10 move trains con-
.llag tonnage Ia excess Of The registered tonnage
49, q --e engines Eal-lilg slcn La-LiS-
A--acr-zng the commission 70 require the tenn
- use Y Idle equipment OF one rallTos line 20
'Ppisrlect the overtaXec equipment o. the other.
Senator Kltrredge expressed the opinion to-
@y that the coal famine was The result Of tie