Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-19
BLAMED ON THE LAW
ALLEGED CAUSE OF THE COAL
FAMINE IN NORTHWEST.
Senator Kittredge's View - Senator
Hansbrough Would Penalize Roads
and Consignees.


| In which there Is coal famine, Senator
Kittredge Of South Dakota today said:
From the many letters that have receiv-
ed and from publications that have reached
me 1t appears that this coal famine is the
result Of the requirement Of the new rail-
way rate bill under which the railroads
have to give thirty days notice before
Changing a rate, and also the result Of the
action of the retailers in putting off ship
ment of coal until they could have the ad-
vantage of the new rate
About the LIST of October the railroads
gave notice that they would give a rate on
coal 20 per cent less than the rate then In
force The retail dealers, to have all the
advantage of this rate, allowed the entire
month Of October to pass by before order
ing coal The result is the railroads were
not able to ship it fast enough"
The information that has been received
here that the required thirty day notice
Tor the change in the coal rate has caused
the coal famine of the northwest was heard
with great interest by many Senators to-
day, and especially by some who had de-
clared that the thirty day notice would
produce Just such results as have been
shown in the northwest. When the bill
Tor the regulation of railroad rates was
under consideration there were many men
who declared that the necessities of trans
portat1on We're such that they ought to be
notice. They said that the thirty day notice
In many cases would become a great burden
and their remarks are being pointed to by
some Senators as having been verified nv
prevailing conditions
Senator Kittredge stated that in his state
tnere Is no coal famine sufficient to cause
any suffering among the people. In fact the
railroads there and the dealers are handling
the distribution Of coal satisfactorily.
Senator Hansbrough's Remedy.
for 10,
preparing to introduce a bill which ne
hopes will improve the situation as regards
shortage of railway cars in the northwest.
He saw the President again on the subject
today.
Il believe that if the interstate commerce
commission Is given greater powers over
car distribution and handling, the railroads
viii do much better than at present" he
remarked to a Star reporter. The main
trouble, believe, is not in the scarcity Of
cars, but in the fact that the cars are held
on side tracks in all parts of the country,
around hotels in dress suits without caring
whether the people get the necessaries of
life My idea, which has not yet developed
is to give the interstate commerce commits
son power to direct the removal of cars
from the north to the south or the south
to the north, according to the demands, and
to penaliZe consigneeS who hold loaded
cars on tracks instead Of unloading them
promptly.
AT present consignee can hold a car
long time by paying demurrage of one
dollar a day, and he does this rather than
pay storage. Thousands of cars could be
released today by stopping this. II may
be necessary also to require the railroads
to furnish shippers with cars within a
reasonable time after request is made
for means of shipment. The problem is a
pretty big one and 1 am studying it. The
interstate commerce commission is giving
the matter close attention and will prob
ably be able to make some valuable recon-
mendations.'
Gov. Cummins' Proposition.
After Gov. Cum-nins of Iowa had called
on the President today he was asked by
Star reporter about the car short age Il
do not know what will be done at this end
Of the line" he replied, "butI do know
what l shall ask the legislature of my
state to 90. I assume, to begin with, that
every railroad Is properly equipped to
transact the business of it's patrons. That
being so, propose to recommend the enact
ment of law which will renf.Nze the rail
roads that do not furnish within reason
able time such as are asked for by
shippers, and which will at the same time
penalize the consignee who holds cars on
side tracks without unloading them within
reasonable time. With fair equipment
the railroads, together with prevention for
done to settle this question:.