The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-12-28

afraid their constituents might want
something Of better quality
for the money.
Quite the most serious problem
before the administration and the
country at the present moment is
that of the car shortage now
principally affecting the northwest.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion is dealing with the situation
as we'll as it can, but lacks the
power to step in and manage the
property of the railroads, it's func-
tions being limited to decisions as
to the justice of railroad rates. In
this connection, however, there is
a very serious problem. The Presi-
dent recognize that the shortage
Of cars means to the whole country
and especially considered the step
of vesting the II terstate Commerce
Commission not only with author
ity for fixing railroad rates. but
also managing their property in
case of public emergency. A bill
comforting this authority upon the
Commission in addition to it's
present regulating power had been
drawn by Judge Cowen, Counsel
for the Texas Cattle Raisers Asso'
citation, who had good deal to do
with shaping the present rate law.
This bill is now being considered
bv the Commission with view to
returning it to the President with
their opinion preparatory to his
submitting either this or a modified
measure to Con gress.
This. situation is suspected in
good many quarters but has receiv-
ed no official confirmation and
good many of the leaders in Con-
gress would give something to
know that it is actually so. 1t is so'
but naturally the commission does
not dare to confirm the fact.
The pressing nature Of the car
has been brought to the
attention of the President by Sena-
tor Hansborough and number OF
other senators and representatives
and q flood of letters and kilograms
from the afflicted districts. Tele-
grams have been sent by the In
terstate Commerce. Commission to
the Presidents of six of the big
transcontinenral roads asking them
to do all in their power to break
the freight blockade aud get fuel
and provision to the communities
that are actually suffering for lack
of them. Replies have been re-
ceived to all these messages stating
that the condition is, one which
arises every year, but this year in a
little more aggravated form. The
railroad presidents say that the
situation il not the fault of the
roads, but of the communities which
failed to lay in supplies for the
winter before the present congestion
of traffic became acute. They say,
also, that the shortage of cars is not
their. fault, that they have bought
as many cars as the factories can
turn out and in most cases have
more cars than the mileage Of their
roads can accommodate, and that
they would be glad to build more
track and larger terminal facilities
but they cannot buy the material
nor hire the labor to do it. They
Say they have the money but simply
cannot get the men and the rails.
The other side to this story is tolt
by the Commission and many O
the suffering shippers. They Say
that the railroads ip favoring th'
big shippers allow then to turn thu
cars into warehouses and g. sell; coal
lumber, and other commodities
direct from the cars standing on tn
i, side track, roads which might do I
large through business with thei
|own rolling stock are afraid to- le
their own cars pass beyond the lin
of their own roads owing to tn
difficulty about getting them back
They force the unloading of thei
cars at the terminals Of their owl
road and this takes time and in
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