Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-08-30

net surplus Of 2O,5S2 This was a
reduction in the available car supply
since July Of 12S,54O.
In these four years the reduction in
the net car supply between the third
week in July and the third week in
October carried from 128,54O to 24S,765
cars. On July 1S, 1911, the surplus
was 75, 3S9 and the shortage 6,467.
making a net surplus Of 6S,922. There
fore II the reduction in the available
car supply between July and October,
1912, be only equal to the smallest re-
duction that has taken place in the
same period in any Of the preceding
your years, viz, 12S,54O cars, we
would be confronted on October rs
with a net shortage of 59,61S cars. If
the reduction in the available supply
Of cars should be as great as 1t was in
1909, we would face on October rs a
shortage of 1S9,147 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.
Conditions that are likely to cause a
heavy demand for, and rapid reduc-
ton in the supply of cars exist. The
amount of traffic handled varies
greatly during different parts Of the
year During about eight months there
usually are large car surpluses. Dur
ing about four months, beginning
around October 1, there are apt to be
shortages This is owing chiefly to
the fact that that is the season Of
heaviest crop movement Now, the
crop prospects in the west this are
unusually good. That helps to make
the prospect of car shortage unusu-
ally bad.
The railway managements are doing
and will do everything that they can
to provide for satisfactory handling of
the triffic. Their net earnings per mile
were less in the fiscal year 1911 than
they we're in 1910, and they were less
in 1912 than they we're in 1911 Mean
time, in 1912 their taxes we're increas-
ed over 1911, and in 1911 they in
creased over 1910, These develop
ments, both Of them impairing the
managers ability to maintain and de-
velop the properties have prevented
and are still preventing, them from
buying the equipment and making the
other improvements that conditions
demand The situation apparently
confronting us is precisely what the
managers repeatedly during recent
years have predicted would come II
the present policy of regulation were
not changed Nevertheless, hampered
though they have been, they have
made numerous Improvements in
plants and operating methods. For
some years the purchases Of equip
ment we're relatively small, but re-
Gently they have substantially increas-
ed.
!
The managers, however, cannot do
everything. If the bad situation now
threatened is to be averted, they must
have the hearty support and co-opera-
ton of the shippers and consignees of
the country The shippers and con-
signees can give such support and CO.
operation in at least two ways:
/. By moving all the lumber, coal,
cement, and other freight they can
within the next few weeks, instead of
delaying and throwing 1t all on the
railways when they are staggering un-
der the crop movement Mr.. Frank T.
Bentley, traffic manager Of the Illi-
nois 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 orders
for cement and other commodities ear
ly Much might be gained if the traf-
fic managers Of all the large indus
trial concerns of the country would
follow Mr.. Bentleys example and their