Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-22
NO RELIEF FROM THE
SITUATION IN SIGHT
Shippers of Boise Are Find
ing it Difficult to Get
Goods to Their Customers
Investigation B Ell n g
Made by Public Utilities
Commission.

The car shortage in southern Idaho
is getting more serious every day and
those confronted with it are in
quandary as to how to remedy the sit
uation. Wholesale and retail mer-
chants of Boise have been waiting
weeks for consignments of goods and
are still waiting. Thousands of cases
of canned goods are tied up at various
railroad points awaiting an opportun-
fly to be hauled to their designations.
Not only are train loads of cars fill
led with orders held up but shippers in
this state are finding the utmost diff
ficulty in getting their produce hauled
out of the state. The public utilities
commission has been investigating the
situation but has been unable so far
to give as much relief as it desires.
Carriers assert that there is nothing
they can possibly do that they are not
doing to keep cars in movement.
INCREASE DEMURRAGE.
Demurrage charges are to be in
creased up to S. per day per car in the
hope Of bringing relief. Shippers be-
lieve this will do much toward speed
ing up unloading. Practically every
common carrier in the country is fac
ing car shortage. One explanation
given as to the shortage came from
Leonard Way, rate expert with the
public utilities commission. He stated
that the increase in the supply Of mu-
ntons for foreign countries had been
so rapid that every available car had
been brought into service, bringing
about a shortage. Freight business for
the railroads has doubled, state those
at the utilities commission who have
given the question "a study.
one Wholesale merchant said that for
weeks his house had been waiting for
an order of canned goods. II was dis
covered that the order is tied up with
The orders of numerous other mer-
chants in train loads held in Utah. Ev-
cry possible effort has been made to
get the cars on the move but without
success. AS a result of this tie-up not
few merchants in Boise find that
they are running short in some lines OF
goods. An attempt made yesterday
as an illustration to purchase raisins
disclosed the fact that there are prac-
tically none in the city and merchants
could not say when there would be
This and other classes of dried frui
arc being held at various points o.
transit.
MAY TAKE RADICAL STEPS.
John A. Blomquist, former presiden
of the public utilities commission, VIII,
recently returned from an automobile
trip to Nebraska points states that al
along the Union Pacific railroad HI
saw train load after train load of car
being held. There seemed to be lacl
of locomotive power to move them
Yet most of these trains contained
goods that should have reached thei
destination some time ago.
The car shortage is said to be on
of the causes for the increase in tn
price of coal which has been gradua
the past few months. The mines ar
responsible for the raise in rates, it /
claimed. The problem of car shortag
is becoming such a serious one that i
is believed some radical steps will hav
to be taken to relieve it. No particu
lar blame is attached to the railroad.
There have been specific instance
where the carriers have relieved urgen
car shortage situations at loss t
themselves.