The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-25
J. E. Hurley of Santa Fe States
COmpany's Side of Story.
GIVES THE FIGURES.
Fourteen Thousand Loaded Cars
Standing at Galveston.
List of Equipment Purchases
Since January 1, 1902.

The bother of the operating depart
ment OF the Atchison, Topeka & San
ia Fe railway, and of all western rail-
roads for that matter, just now, is the
lack of equipment to handle the crops
of Kansas and Oklahoma and of the
west generally. The congestion seems
| to grow worse instead of better. New
! LOGON olives and new box cars come
from the manufacturers weekly, but
! freight continues to pilo up at sta
/ tons
| A few days ago. to move perishabIe
freight which was accommodating at
| Chicago and Kansas City, a hurry or
der was made to send to those cities all
the empty box cars available 1t was
case of necessity and the order was
obeyed on all divisions. The result
was increased congestion of freight in
Kansas and Oklahoma. However, the
congestion has been relieved some
what at Chicago and Kansas City, and
soon these cars will be available west
CT the Missouri river.
In the meantime, shippers along the
line have been complaining and the
local newspapers are full. of the subj
1ect But the railway company is do
ing the best ii can. 1t cannot perform
the Impossible The existing condf-=
history of railroad transportation. For
instance, On the Oklahoma division of
the Santa Fe alone the cotton ship
ments so far this year have been 49,
the same period last year. This means
the use of FAC cars more for this
commodity than were used for the
same purpose last year, this in a ter
rltory served by q comparatively short
section OF road. In corn, and wheat,
the increase is even greater.
The trouble, however, is not to be
charged wholly to lack of equipment
Consignees might relieve the congestion
If they would unload cars expeditiously.
For instance, there are today IL, 900 load
ed cars in Galveston awaiting for con-
signees to empty them and turn them
back into commission. This is not the
tault of the railroad. Mr. J. KrutSchnitt,
manager of the maintenance and trans
portation of the Southern Pacific, who
has been studying conditions, finds that
in a period of ten days the shippers held
cars eight days-give to the roads only
two days use of them. He estimates
that if the shippers had given to the
railroad the use of these cars three days
it would have been equal to the use of
$1,000 cars. Here is a thought for ship
pers.
Speaking of the condition. Nj J. E.
Hurley. general manager of the Santa
F'e, said today:
THE car situation, particularly with
reference to box cars, has beensthe cause
of much anxiety in the operating de-
partment of the Santa Fe for cne past
sixty, and especially, the last thirty
days This has been due to several
causes; notably:
(A) Inability to obtain the return of
equipment that had been delivered to
other lines in the regular interchange of
business.
OBJ Delay of consignees in unloading
of equipment.
car equipment of the Atchison, Topeka
& Santa -Fe Railway company is now
on foreign lines. 1t is of first import
ance to the largest number of people
served by railway company that mer-
chandise loading shall be taken care of
These are commodities that are neces-
sary for the sustenance and comfort OF
the people.
THE latter part of November the
car situation became so acute in the
larger cities that it was necessary to
forego grain loading for period and
take empties from the grain district
to Kansas City. Chicago and other
large merchandise shipping points for
this loading.
''At the time we had at Chicago 800
carloads of merchandise and other
commodities for loading and transfer
The transfer loads could not come
through to destination on our line for
various reasons. In some cases the
cars of other lines in which they were
loaded were bad order and could not
be repaired promptly, and In others
the line owning the cars We're mot will
ing for the cars to be moved away
from their own tracks. We were
short from 35 to IS cars daily for load
ing at the freight house; these loads
being chiefly merchandise
"At Kansas City the situation was
much the same. We were short IS to
$50 cars there daily. and had as high
as 10 merchandise loads for transfer
in addition to being short rs. to so
cars for similar loading at the ware
house platform.
mot only must the merchandise be
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