The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-08-17
Shippers Asked to Aid in Keeping
Traffic Free Of Congestion by
Prompt Handling of Freight.
SERIOUS BLOW TO BUSINESS
Panic of 1907 Followed on Conditions
Such as Confronts Country Today
Extreme Care Needed.

According to information sent out
by w. A. Garrett, chairman Of the
association of western railways, the
country faces the prospect of the
greatest car shortage in history. 1t
will be due to the fact that the west
is producing a record breaking crop
and that the supply of available
freight cars is shorter this year than
any one of the past four.
An appeal is being sent out to ship
pers in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Mon
tana and Washington to use extreme
care in the handling of cars and to
as far as possible make shipments of
ETC., before October l so that during
the month of October, the railways
may bend all their energies toward
moving the crop.
The following letter has been re-
ceived by the Pioneer:
''The railways will be called upon
very soon to begin the movement of
one of the biggest crops ever raised in
the Northwest.
IF a serious car shortage is to be
avoided, there must be the closest
possible cooperation between the
shippers and railways.
The widest possible publicity
should be given to this fact, and
shippers should be urged to load and
unload cars as promptly as possible
Every one is interested in seeing the
crop moved promptly. A car short
age will materially affect business,
hence anything that will reduce the
shortage to the minimum will con-
tribute to the common good
Three Points of Service.
The press of the Northwest can
render a great service by calling at
tention to the Importance of all ship
pers observing the following:
(a) Load cars as soon as possible
after being placed
(b) Load cars as near capacity as
practicable.
(c) Hurry unloading of cars to
make another empty.
Cars are furnished for transport
tation, not for storage
'.Shippers should be urged also to
move all the lumber, coal, cement,
and other freight that they can,
within the next few weeks, in order
that when crop movement actually
starts, the railways may devote their
entire energies to moving grain and
other agricultural products to the ex-
clusion of other freight"
In circular sent out from Chica-
go, Mr.. Garrett gives figures to show
why there may be car shortage un-
less shippers cooperate with the rail-
ways. He says:
THE time is here for the railways
and shippers of the United States to
begin active and energetic prepara-
tlons to prevent car shortage The
indications are that if they do not be-
gin such preparations at once they
Will be confronted next October with
the worst situation that has existed
since October, 1907, just before the
panic. No railway man or shipper
needs to be told what that situation
was. None need to be told what was
the condition in the preceding fall
and winter of 1906-1907. Railway
facilities were inadequate to move
the business; yards and terminals
were congested land heavy loss to the
railways, the shippers and the public
resulted,
Fewer Available Cars,
"Why do I think we are likely to
be confronted with similar condi-
ton this fall unless all concerned
join hands and heartily cooperate to
prevent it? The belief is based on
the car surplus and shortage figures
of the American Railway association.
The latest figures we have show the
car situation on July IS, 1912. Let
us see what was the situation on
practically the same date in each year
of the last preceding four, and what
followed. --
"On July %, 1908, the car sur
plus was 308,680, and the shortage
500, a net surplus of 3O8,171. On
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