Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-24
RAILROADS fear
A CAR SHORTAGE
ASSOCIATION or WESTERN RAIL.
WAYS ISSUED CIRCULAR
@ sHoWlNo srUATioN. 4.
WOULD AVOID FAMINE
Try to Avert Repetition Of Condition
That Prevailed In Winter Of 1908
-Roads Hers Active and
Business Good.

j '
Ice on the various railroads is a mat
ter of the greatest concern to tn
carriers Of the country large and small
and al Of them have for some tim,
past been taking means to avert rea
car famine such - was suffered II
1907. To this end they have made .
general or concerted effort in orde,
to reduce the shortage OF cars to TIL
minimum and thus not only keep traf
fic moving, but with a. little annoy
ance - possible. Every year TIL
shortage IL felt more or less regard
less OF the fact that thousands of addi
itional cars are annually being built
and the trafhc departments of the
various roads are continually on thu
alert to keep the car situation within
such bounds that traf1c may not be
come congested for want of cars te
carry, the freight that is continually
increasing In volume The roads ask
the shippers to cooperate with them
to avert car famine, for the shiL pers
and the consumers bear the annoy.
ance that is entailed by car short.
age even as do the roads.
Sent Out Circular.
| The association OF Western Rail
ways sent out early during the
month Of August to the various divis-
ion points Of the railroads and the
big centers of shipping. q circular let.
ter that was directed to industrial
traf1c managers and commercial asso-
Citations detailing the car situation as
1t was at that time and forecasting
the next two months. This circular
is worthy OF the shippers notice In
that they are OF necessity vitality In
terested in the car situation because
of their own Slipping. An excerpt
from this circular is given below for
the benefit of those concerns that
have demand for cars, In order that
they may cooperate with the roads
in releasing cars when unloaded and
thus be more likely to save delay in
securing cars for their goods when
needed. The circular In part states:
Car Situation. ... |
THE latest figures we have show
the car situation on July 1S, 1912. Let
us see what was the situation practic-
ally the same date in each year OF the
last preceding four, and what follow
ed.
ION July %, 1908, the car surplus
was 30S,s5O, and the shortage 500, q
net surplus OF 3Os,171. On I October
20, 1908, the surplus had been reduced
to 110,912 and the shortage had in /
creased to 1o,sss, leaving a net sur. !
plus Of 100,073. This was a decline
in available cars since July OF 20S,09s. /
ION July 81, 1909, the surplus was !
243,364, and the shortage 339, making /
a net surplus Of 243,015 cars. On
October ~, 1909, the surplus had been
to 30,S96, and the shortage had |
increased to 1886, leaving q net
shortage of $40 cars. This was 1 |
reduction in the available car supply
since July of 24s.755.
ION July 20, 1910, the surplus was
134,594 and the shortage 1928, max
ing net surplus Of 13a,3O1. BY Oct.
rs, the surplus was down to 1902, |
and the shortage up to 1886, making
a net shortage of 1924 cars. This
was reduction in net available car
supply since July Of 142,125.
ION July 10. 1911, the surplus was
150,433, and the shortage 1851, max. |
ing net surplus of 149,072. BY Oct. |
Is the surplus was down to 39,306, and
the shortage up to 1874, leaving a |
net surplus of 20,532. This was q re-
duction in the available car supply
since July of 12S,540 cars.
In these four years the reduction in |
the net car supply between the third !
week in July and the third week in |
October varied from 128,540 to 24S,-
1855 cars. On July Is, 1912, the surplus
was 1883, and the shortage, CAST, |
making . net surplus of 1892. There !
fore, If the reduction in the available |
car supply between July and October,
1912, be only equal to the smallest |
reduction that has taken place in the |
same period In any Of the preceding ,
four years, viz: l2s,540 cars, we
would be confronted on October Is
with q net shortage of 1858 cars. II
the reduction in the available supply
Of cars should be as great as It was
in 1909, we would face on October Is !
a shortage of 1883 cars.
"The situation created by even the |
smaller of these shortages would be I
appalling and the resulting losses suf-
fered by all commercial, industrial and !
interests enormous"
The local railroad officials have re-
ceived this circular and orders from
headquarters in the same general d. !
(cCtlOA tCAAOAA6 " COu6OlFO IuC supply
81 cars. One of the means adopted by
The roads has been a more frequent i
check of the yards each day and at
least once each day a report of these
cars is made. This report Is made
In manifold copies going to many Of
the officials but chiefly to the car &C.
of the road, the division su-
oerintendent, division traffic manager,
etc, Close tab Is kept on all of the
cars that enter the city each day and
! record of whom they 60 to II locally
and how long they remain
The fact that per diem is
charged is not sufficient to permit
shipper to delay unloading a car for
he per diem Is much less than the car
s worth In service Of the roads.
Discuss New Football Rules.
Des Moines, Sept. 21.-Coaches and
,fficiais of the Missouri Valley confer.
nee are here today attending meet. I
ne called for the purpose OF discnss.