Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-08-09
BAG CAR SHORTAGE
Tie.Cp i'm Sam FRamclsco Grelgh Z
Yards Causes Trouble.

Tie.Cp I'm Sam FFamclsco EFelgh
Yards Causes Trouble.
The worst car shortage in the history
Of the Pacific northwest il impending
- result Of the 'ieup Of Hartman rail
road cars 1t San Francisco. The traffic
departments Of the Southern Pacific and
Union Pacific lines have permitted near
" 20 per cent Of the scant freight ca,
rolling stock Of these companies to pile
up in San francisco terminal yards with
out adequate nessures being taken to
secure the unloading Of tho cars aud the
protection OF shippers in other Pacific
coast territory.
The most reliable reports from San
Francisco Indicate that there are about
{. 200 loaded freight cars hold up in and
afouno San Francisco, within 100 miles
Of the cong ngested centsr. According to
statsmeos made BY Jul. Kruttschnitt,
director of msiatenance and operation.
q committee Of investigation few days
ago making the rounds Of the yards
found but l8 wagons At work hauling
away freight from 800 cara that had been
placed on siding that day for unload-
ing. Far more loaded cars were being
received daily than we're being anloadsd.
The surplus Of useless hay and lumber
accumulated amounted 70 about 800
cars. An order was then isaued stopping
shipment Of lumber and hay cousiensd
to San Frsucisco. But the order came too
late. The dsmsgs WAS done, and it will
be many weeks before the precious
freight cars now tied up in the San
Francisco blockade can be released and
trundled back 10 the places where they
are most vitality needed - carry on the
commerce Of the country.
The wheat and hay harvests oil over
'he country are ct staee where cars
will be imparatively needed, especially
n the Pacific northwest. There is an
immense tonnage Of other ireiehts, NOR
;handise. construction materials aud
machinery Of oil kinda needed in the
'weepisg development movement now
,sder way in the Oregon country. The
lemsnd for Pacific northwest lumber 10
he middlea s>stes - incpeasiug, and
here il sycrying need for emoas .eass
or shipment Of Oregon and Washing
on lumber mill products. |.
The gross earn ings OF the Southern ,
'sci6c for the fiscal year ending Juno 80
're said to have been &l00, ,000. 900. Yet :
here has been for yeare . continual 7
'sil from shippers for moro cars and =
business has been constantly haudi. !
spped % result Of tho short-sighted-
ess of the official whose duty it is to
rder the building. OF new freight cars. !,
Shippers cay that in fact there are but ,
few intervals, during the entire year.
hen there is ready response from the q
aiIroad companies to calls for empt,es.
he remainder OF the time there is
carcity. When the movement Of Orc y
on livestock to ranges farther east be. :,
ins there is shortage. Then the berry :,
rop comes along, and there 10 another
hortage. The wheat crop begins with h
howl for more cars and blends into ;,
1e rear accompanying movement of the
uit crop, the hop crop, the hay and q
ny other old crop. Meantime there is 4
continuous hubbub from the lumber
ill ireRoos because of inability to get
srs enough to hsndle the all-the-yesr n
'und movement Of lumber to the east :
1t is said by close observers of those U
heDomena that the basis OF oil the car
ouble is the rapidity With which the
acifc coast is developing it's resources
nd increasing it's production, and the
,ntinual Understanding of this deyel-
pment by the railroad officials who are .
opposed to provide cars to meet future
seds of transportsti on.
With 4,0OC or even 1000 Hartman
ne freight cars tied up at San Fran
SEQ the annual fall car shortage will be
IL more severely than ever on Oregon
mes. There will be . cry from every
larter. south and north, for cars for
owing the crops, and the operating y
apartment of the Southern Pacific
I'd Union Pacific systems will be in
1t water for the next three months, r
,able TO satisfy their patrons. Every
npty that is sent to one point will be
'manded at 100 others. Should esrlv
ins set in this fall the troubles will be
uch augmented. Erection of more
ivate warehouses .. oil shipping
ints in the Pacific north west issid to <
the only immediate reconraa Of the