The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-10-29
Car Shortage in Indiana May
Cause inconvenience Says
Railroad Commission.
MANY MINES ARE CLOSED
APPARENTLY TRANSPORTATION
COMPANIES ARE NEoLEcTING
FNgioHT BUSINESS - sIrUA.
TON 70 APPALLING.

indianapolis, Oct. 29.-Indiana users
Of coal will probably be put TO great
Inconvenience during this winter be-
cause OF the failure Of the railroads
handling coal to provide for the traffic
according to william j. Wood. chair
man of the railroad commission. who
has been consulted In regard to the
difficulty In obtaining cars. The chair
man said that the commission had not
received any reports Of discrimina-
lions against any Of the coal producers
but that number Of complaints had
been received Of inability to get cars.
Not only have the railroads failed
10 provide additional coal car equip
nient, the chairman said but they have
failed 10 keep In repair the cars they
have been using for number Of years.
the result being that the general equip
nient In very low In quality. Many
cars that were made to do service last
year In emergencies are unfit for an.
other season OF hard usage. and the
chairman fears that at critical time
during the coming winter the railroads
will find themselves flooded with coal
orders and with no cars with which to
take care Of them.
Equipment at Low Standard.
1T IL not only In the coal industry
that we find this condition existing"
saId the chairman. "but ground for
tho complaint IL general. What the
railroads expect to do with the ever
increasing volume OF freight without
adding to or even keeping up their
equipment Ia more than ! am able to
understand. Just now we receive
more complaint about shortage of coal
cars than any other kind. because the
coal shipping season IL setting in.
Complains about shortage OF flat cars
comes next. In the last few days I
have been compelled to call freight
offices In Cincinnati to get cars for
Indiana shippers. and then was not
able To obtain the desired number. To
the. man who understands freight
movements and the unpreparedness OF
the railroads the situation Is appall-
Ing.
'''One reason for the shortage OF
ears ID the fact that under ruling Of
the interstate commerce commission
u railroad IL compelled to pay only
70 cents "a day for car belonging to
another company which II appropri-
atcs to It's own use. The roads have
found II cheaper to pay the nominal
sum than to build cars. while they do
not relish the idea Of building cars for
their own use when they are likely
to be seized by another company and
used for an Indefinite time at the price
set out In the ruling. II seems to me
that II will be necessary to readjust
the ruling In the interest of better
shipping facilities.
Lack o. Cars Closing Mines.
"There are many other elements
which will enter into the congestion
Of railroad operation when the time
comes. such as inadequate terminals.
trackNge and siding, etc, but these are
not directly concerning the people OF
this state now. with winter coming on
and q shortage Of coal cars a GER
tainty."
A report from Terre Haute IL to
the effect that many coal mines are
Idle because Of lack Of cars. and that
some Of the mines are being discrimi-
mated against. Chairman, Wood said
tat 10 discrimination exists, II has not
been reported to the commission. and
that the commission has no actual
knowledge Of II.