The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05
COMMISSION HELPS
FIGHT SHORTAGE
STATE BODY THINKS IF SHIP
PERS COOPERATE THE RAIL-
ROADS WILL DO WELL

Sioux Falls, S. Dat a meeting
held in Sioux Falls by the state
board of railroad commissioners
careful and serious consideration was
given to the matter of guarding as
much as possible against a car short
age in South Dakota later in the fall
when the great bulk of the mammoth
small grain crop is ready for mark
citing.
The railroad commissioners have
during the past few weeks been using
every means at their disposal to in
duce the railroads to prepare for pro-
mptly handling the great crop raised
III the state this season, and as a re-
suit of these efforts the railroads
have been moving several thousand
of heir cars into the western grain
territory. The Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul Company has between three
and o thousand grain cars avail
able for this work. The Chicago g.
North western has on sidetracks in
South Dakota about our thousand
cars, and the company has put on
thirty of it's new large type loco
motives and is in good snaps to han
die the grain to be shipped from the
lines of the Northwestern in South
Dakota.
Figures compiled by the railroad
commissioners show tn at the Chicago
Milwaukee & Puget Sound railway
company have added during the III
rent year $500 new cars and 296 of
it's largest type locomotives to it's sys-
TEN. One o of the expectation
of a largely increased business the
company also has added largely to
its track terminal and yard facilities,
SO as to be able to handle the heavy
business as promptly as possible.
! The railroad commissioners say
hat if the shippers and receivers of
freight will be equally forehanded
in providing facilities, and will do
their share in promptly loading and
unloading cars, it will result in
making a large supply of empties
available and greatly lessen the pres
sure for empty cars.
In the near future the railroad
commissioners will issue u statement
to the public containing instructions
covering the ordering of cars, the
prompt loading and unloading of
cars and requiring shippers to try
and reduce as much as possible the
full greight time allowed for ~uoading
and the giving to the railroad COM
panies of prompt notice when loaded
cars are ready for release and ship
ment. The statement also will re-
quest that all cars be loaded to their
full capacity for deliveries to com
plete full carloads; also to be con-
sentative in ordering any. cars
than they need at a time, and to place
their orders in writing.
1t is stated that if the suggestions
be made by the railroad commits
sioners are followed by the shippers
and the railroads the commissioners
believe that it will. in a great mea-
sure, do away with a serious car
shortage during the time when there
is such q wonderfully increased need
for care. 1t is pointed out that while
South Dakota has an unusually lerge
crop, otner states of the northwest
also nave large crops and under a
rule preventing discrimination are
entitled to their ratio of cars. While
the railroad commissioners of the
states of the northwest are fully pro-
tecting the interests of their w
states in this respect, it is urged that
if the shippers will lend a hand and
the railroads do the best they can
the marketing of the immense small
grain crop OF South Dakota will go
forward on as favorable a basis as
any of the other states of the north
west.