Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-24
IS FACING
CAR SHORTAGE OF
SERIOUS NATURE
Public Utilities Commission
Is Taking Steps to Secure
Relief for the Shippers Of
State.

There Is a serious car shortage In
Idaho and the public utilities commits
sion is wrestling with the problem OF
giving shippers relief. 1t affects the
ores mined in the Occur d'Alenes. the
wheat and fruit of the Palouse and
Lewiston country. the grains and po.
tatoes of the southeast. Unless there
is relief soon hundreds of men will ee
thrown out of employment. So far the
commission. in it's Investigations, has
been unable to determine just where
the trouble lies. 1t is believed there is
shortage of sufficient rolling stock to
move the crops of the United States.
In other words the railroads Have not
enough cars to meet the demand. 9th
er cars are in competitive territory to
meet some of the more urgent trans
portation demands and the competition
of other roads. There is a car short
age in other states, the commission has
learned, but it is only concerned with
the Idaho situation, which President
Axel p. Ramstedt classes as serious.
Every effort is being put forth by the
public utilities commission to bring
about a rapid car movement of cars in
Idaho to give relief to the shippers.
Telegraphic communication is on with
the superintendent of roads. They are
being urged to get cars into Idaho and
get them here just as rapidly as they
can. 1t is very probable that a mem
Der of the commission will make a tour
of the state investigating shipping con-
ditions to determine just where the
most immediate relief is necessary and
the cause of the trouble, after which a
conference will be held with railroad
officials. The commission proposes to
determine just what the situation is
and to secure the information first
hand.
COMPLAINTS TURNED IN.
From Rigby the commission has re-
ceived the following complaint made
by H. B. Tabb & Co.: I'VE are au-
thoritatively advised officials oregon
Short Line company have instructions
to deliver all Pacific Fruit Express re-
frigerator cars obtainable to Oregon
Washington, Railway G. Navigation
company loading Oregon and Washing
ton. We get nothing but few foreign
refrigerators obtainable. Farmers rush
ing potatoes to market. Frost proof
storage full. Indications cold weather.
Few cars only received at Rigby during
October"
]. c. Jacobson of Idaho Falls. a
heavy buyer and shipper of potatoes.
writes the commission from that city:
THE car shortage is the worst we
have ever had in our experience since l
have been in the business here in Ida
no Falls for 10 years. The railroad
company has promised us relief right
along, saying that the cars were on
the way and that in a few days we
would be taken care Of but so far there
has not been any truth in it.
The superintendent of the Montana
division was honest enough to tell me,
the other day, that they just did not
have the cars and could not handle
them If they did.
"As near as l can see, the railroad
companies are using tn cars at COM
pettive points and letting us wait un-
til shipments are over at such places.
We cannot get any other railroad to
haul our stuff and we just have to
wait until they get ready. l will state
in this Connection that there really has
not been any financial loss sustained
by this car shortage as potatoes have
advanced steadily for the last 80 days.
But the car service and switching SER
vice Jure has been the poorest on
record"
HOW 1T AFFECTS LABOR.
A. w. Laird. general manager Of the
Washington, Idaho & Montana Rail-
way COMPANY tells of the car shortage