The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-01-16

Ia I dicating that there has al
ready begun car shortage
which promises to be more serious
in Immediate future. It would be
difficult to estimate the financial loss
to the industries and commerce of
this country shonid such a condition
obtain for any length OF time. With
out raw material Or without coal, IN
dustrlas must close; without lumber,
cement and structural steel, building
would De stopped; without the dis
tribUtiCn CT the great body of our
manufacturers commerce will slack
en- aad the people at large suffer Sc
rious Ell barrasSment. Especially is
there danger of distress arising out
Of an insufficient coal supply such as
arose in certain parts OF our country
in tbs winter Of 1867. The Com
mission is receiving daily adyices
from industries, State institutions,
coal merchants and private indivi-
duais that unless relief is had i'm
mediately great suffering will ensue.
it appears that many Of the
roads which have adequately
supplied themselves with equip
ment for the transportation of
coal are unable to secure their
equipment from their connecting
lines, it having been appropriated by
those lines and put TO other uses.
One railroad reports that out Of 3d.
600 coal cars owned il now has but
2,800 available on its line and has
been forced to place an embargo
against coal going Off it's line in it's
Cars. The per diem charge under
common agreement for the use of
foreign equipment seems inadequate
to secure it's return at time when
there is q live demand for cars. Such
procedure on the part Of railroads is
nothing less than theft. The car
riers by agreement have provided
rules under which, when carried out
in good faith, cars may promptly be
returned to the home line. Depar-
ture from these rules is an appro-
priation of property which is moral
ly unjustifable.
That such an embargo is unlawful
this Commission has held in the case
Of the Missouri & Illinois Coal Co.
VS.. Illinois Central Railroad Co., %
1. C. C. Rep. 80, wherein it is said:
"Our railroads are called upon to
so unite themselves that they will
constitute one national system; they
must establish through routes, keep
these routes open and in operation,
furnish the necessary facilities for
transportation, make reasonable and
proper rules of practice as between
themselves and the shippers, and as
between each other. The full bur-
den of this great obligation is in the
first instance cast upon carriers
themselves. In complih dot with
these recognized require i'm. IS of
the law the carriers have unuOI, '2ken
to establish a body Of rules al "a by
cooperation in their enforcement in
sure the fulfllment of the laws de-
mands. The duty Of the initial car
rier to furnish equipment for ship
ment which moves on to other lines
is universally recognized, and in
cases where that is impracticable or
deemed unwise the carriers assume
to bear the burden Of the transfer
from the equipment of one line to
that of the other. BY agreement the
carriers have fixed the rental value
of a car for their own purposes at 80
or 35 cents a day. That rental, to-
gether with the rules governing the
movement of foreign equipment
equipment not belonging to the line
upon which it stands), is presumed
to secure the return to the initial
carrier of it's own equipment. Mani
testify, however, as revealed in the in
~ Of Coma