Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-03-06

There has been considerable Dis
eassion aEaoRg shippers and railroad
asen On the address deaiEeFe4 BY Ash
boy J. Elliott. naansser of the Illinois
ana Iowa Car Service Association. |
Peoria. Ill. At the recent annual eOn-
xentioa Il the Northwestern inmber
Haen's association. held ut Alnneapo !
lis. Mr.. Elliott vas the principal
speaker and what he said vas re-
gardsi by members u the Convention
y f0Feeful and logical and seem
10 have met With general approval
Mr.. Elliott. 10 the course q his id
dress. made n number os suggestions
M 10 the best way 90 rope with the
perplexing problem of car shortage
throughout the country. which he ex-
planned il causing transferable in
convenience 10 the railroads and ship
pers alike.
The Northwestern LumbeTmen's as
~sOclation In made up of shippers who
are constantly and quite extensively
using the railroads as q Ear Of
transportation. Mr.. Elliott confined
his remarks 20 Offering suggestions to
all shippers. which. II carried out.
would greatly facilitate the handling
Of the vast and enormously Increased
traffic Of the railroads. While Il was
admitted that. In some Instances. rail-.
roads have not adequate rolling stock
To handle their business. 1t l. be-
lieved that by promptly unloading "a
car and returning IL 10 the railroad
for use in transporting other ship
ments. a material step will be- made
toward improving the car shortage
situation.
Mr.. Elliott said that another serious
obstacle frequently encountered by
the railroads In the lack OF sufficient
storage facilities by large manufac.
turers throughout the country. Ere.
quently large industrial corporations
increase their plants to from three 10
five times their original size. but In
few instances are the storage and
warehouse facilities increased proper.
l~tionately. In some instances, said
Mr.. Elliott. shippers will use freight
cars for storage prior to fixing the
price Of the shipment. and then. too.
cars are often detained by merchants
while arranging TO dispose OF the
shipment 70 jobbers and pending the
Ireconsignment 10 their customers. All
these little delays on the part Of ship
pers are frequently the cause OF con
gestion at the shipping point, while
en- route. and very seriously blocks
Isidlngs, necessitating the railroads
doing considerable unnecessar,
switching of cars. II closer attention
were paid to this particular phase Of
transportation. the railroad would bs
enabled to use a great deal OF I'll
motive power required to do thii
shifting, for hauling its trains.
Mr.. Elliott. who Is regarded as al
expert In his particular branch o.
railroad operation, said that In hi,
opinion n safe remedy for the exist
ing difficulties would be to do bust
ness on the hotel European plan-or
der what you want and pay for wha
you get" He also said that II wal
but fair that when a shipper prevent.
|, the continuous carriage Of a car from
la shipping point to its destination h,
|, should be compelled to pay a charg,
for so doing. In this way manufae
%turers and merchants doing a larg'
business. and having but a small sid
ing, probably large enough to accom-
modate two or three cars, would en-
large their facilities in order to d.
away with the switching charges
Then. too. the merchant and jobbeI
} would not load cars in anticipation o
an immediate sale. and the commits
|, sion merchant and the jobber woult
also find his customer before tn.
goods are shipped and avoid charges
for reconsignment.