Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-07
AUTOS AND THE RAILROADS
Critical Condition Of transportation Be
hsysd b Liossssd Association.
TRAFFIC OLPARiM-NT GETS THE RESULT
Immense Business Unexpectedly sprunE
on Railroads Brings About n
Peculiar and interest
ing situation.

Never before in the history Of shippers
has the demand for freight cars been go
great. In nearly every industry whers
the product Is universal and has to be
transported. the dearth OF facilities to
speedily and conveniently convey the
product has been felt. The unprecedented
prosperity Throughout the country has In
part been the cause and coupled with the
fact that the railroads we're not prepared
for this exigency. Secretary Of Treasury
Leslie NJ. Shaw In his speech to the licensed
automobile manufacturers last year,
sounded the warning-not Of calmity, as
he was accredited with saying, but Of the
serious results from am over prosperity.
He said: I'VE are prosperous, we are
producing mere than we can haul TO mar
ket, but even yet the demand far exceeds
the supply" Manufacturers OF automobiles
are feeling that his words we're prophetic,
for they are certainly realizing the d.fficulty
in getting them 20 market
1t is conservatively estimated that the
automobile output for 1901, is t5s,OOO,OOO of
which "a per cent is the product of the
members of the association OF Licensed
automobile manufacturers. This means the
shipment Of over 1900 car loads from the
factories.
Problem of transportation.
The users of a machine have for the most
part little knowledge Of how the original
distribution is promptly and safely ac-
oOmpiished. 1t can readily be seen that
the shipment Of $500 900 worth of automo-
biles Is a feature Of the industry that must
claim the attention OF not only the manu-
facturers and railroads, but of the dealer
and user alike for In many cases, the
user pays for the transportation of his
machine from place to place.
The traffic managers Of railroads have
realized for some time that a new industry
has come into existence an industry that
they cannot overlook and one for which
they were not prepared. Fortunately the
railroads were able to get assistance from
OISe source that knew the requirements of
the manufacturers, and were ready to ac-
cept suggestions. The trafac department
of the association, under the management
Of ]. s. Marvin, knowing the condition Of
the railroads and their capacity, and the
features Of automobile shipments was the
medium for the reformation. The depart
ment has kept before railroad officials not
only the requirements In the way OF freight
cars, but full information on various other
phases Of the industry. and has thus en-
abled them to decide intelllgently what the
freight rates should be on automobiles,
material and parts, Revised rates and
elassihcations for many machines az we'll
as much material and unfinished parts has
resulted. Rate Inequalities in various SEQ
lions OF the country have been pointed
out and eliminated. New markets have in
some cases been created in this way for
certain machines, where previously 1t was
commercially impossible to ship them in
any quantity 1t has been able to point
out to the carriers just how freight cars
should be constructed to render the max
| imum service. AS result OF the efforts
of the departments manager, about 5000
special automobile cars are now in the
service, and more under construction, so
arranged as to length, size OF doors and
height. that 1t is possible to safely carry
any size of automobile. Prior TO this the
greater part Of freight cars in service were
inadequately constructed for large machine
transportation.
Unity of the Department.
Not only in the construction Of adequate
freight cars has the department been OF
incalculabls benefit to manufacturer dealer
and user but in countless other ways
Special information announced at the va
rious meetings Of the railroad classification
and rate committees are given to the
reclassifications are pointed out to the
manufacturers and routings to attain the
best results are suggested
The information and advice given by the
department is a work no one manufacturer
could undertake or maintain, and II is un-
necessary for him to do so. During the
year the department manager has repre-
scented the association at all the railroad
meetings, held in California, Chicago,
Florida and New York. At all these meet
ings suggestions for improving the facIli-
ties have been made and many accepted
At the meetings OF the rate making and
classification committee, the association
is represented and the manufacturers' in
terests protected The department has kept
in touch with the recent act Of congress
as Affecting freight rates and promptly ar
ranged so that automobiles were fully
protected In the revision OF tariffs which
at once became necessary. Then Il is con.
sdered that there Is a direct expenditure
Of over 100000 annually In freight or
automobiles and supplies shipped from and
20 the factories, IL viii readily be rellzed
that the Association OF Licensed Automo-
bile Manufacturers has rendered to the in
dustry and those connected with Il. as well
as TO users OF automobiles, a valuable serv.
Ice In being the only organization TO take
up and efrectually regulate an expenditure
OF such importance.
Conditions of TraHio To-day.
The condition of railroads today renders
the frame problem critical and all ship
pers are ciamoring for an improved con.
ditiOn. Speaking on this point Mr.. Mar.
win stated recently; II have been i'm
pressed from the start with the peculiar
and extensive relations between the auto
mobile industry and the transportation
companies, OF course any manufacturer
is, to a more or less extent, IN the SANE
position, but there Is this difference--tha
one may transact several million dollars
worth Of business a year and In doing ~
produce a comparatively insignificant
amount OF freight. An automobile factory
transacting a business representing Al
much money would create for the carriers
large amount OF freight. both In supplies
and finished articles. Thus the automobil,
industry becomes one OF those vitality IN
terested In trafhc matters, owing 20 IN,
large expenditures annually for freigh
service. At the same time thousands o.
skilled and unskuled Workmen are EN-
ployed. hundreds OF travelling mon ant
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