The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1912-08-29
SERIOUS SITUATION CONFRONTS
every SECTION OF NORTHWEST
Haste in ThreShing Wet Grain to Reach Early
Market, In View Of Apparent Shortage, May
Result In Great Losses.

ways, through it's chairman, Mr.. w. A.
Garrett, has issued a circular to all
industrial traffic managers and COM
mercial organizations urging them to
assist the railways in providing empty
cars to move the crops. The circular
says: r.
"The time is here for the railways
and shippers OF the United States to
begin active and energetic prepare
tons 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 needs to be told what was
the condition in the preceding fall and
winter Of 1906-1907. Railway facili-
ties were inadequate to move the bus
mess; yards and terminals were con-
gested; and heavy loss to the rail
ways, the shippers and the public re-
suited"
After quoting car statistics covering
the preceding four years, Mr.. Garrett
concludes:
I'm these four years the reduction
in the net car supply between the
third week in July and the third week
in October varied from 12S,540 to
248,755 cars. On July 18, 1912, the sur
plus was 1889, and the shortage g.
467, making net surplus of 68,922.
Therefore, 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: 128,540
cars, we would be confronted on o.
tober Is with net shortage of 1858
cars. If the reduction in the avail
able supply of cars should be as great
as it was in 1909, we would face on
October rs a shortage of 1888 cars
"The situation created by even the
smaller of these shortages would be
appalling and the resulting losses suf-
fered by all commercial, industrial
and transportation interests enormous
1.-THE railway managers are doing,
and will do, everything that they can
to provide for satisfactory handling Of
traffic. The managers, however, can
not do everything. If the bad situa-
ton now threatening is to be averted,
they must have the hearty support
and cooperation of the shippers and
consignees of the country. The ship
pers and consignees can give such
support and cooperation in at least
two ways:
Il. By moving all the lumber, coal,
cement and other freight that they
can within the next few weeks, in
stead of delaying and throwing it all
on the railways when they are stag
gering under the crop movement. Mr..
Frank T. Bentley, traffic manager of
the Illionis Steel Company and the
Indiana Steel Company, anticipating
car shortage this fall, recently issued
an appeal and warning to all patrons
of these companies to place their or
ders for cement and other commodi-
ties early. Much might be gained if
the traffic managers of all the large
Industrial concerns of the country
would follow Mr.. Bentley's example
and their patrons would act on the
advice given. The commercial organ
izations of the cities and towns can
help greatly by urging their members
to move all goods as early as possible.
seq. Shippers and consignees can
greatly help themselves, the railways
and all other shippers and consignees
by loading and unloading all cars de-
livered to them as expeditiously as,
Every time the loading
or unloading of a car is needlessly de-
layed the available supply of cars is
needlessly reduced; and no shipper
has any right to complain that he is
not furnished enough cars if he is by
his own acts needlessly and wrongful
" reducing the available supply of
cars. Commercial organizations can
not render a better service to their
members than by urging on them the
need for prompt loading and unload
ing. Cars are furnished for transpor-
tation, not for storage; and every one
used for storage reduces the number
available for transportation. 8
%. Shippers can help greatly by
loading all cars to as near their capa-
city as practicable. The more freight
there is loaded in each car the less
cars will be required to move all Of
the freight. VI