Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-11-21
SHORTAGE OF CARS IS
SERIOUS IN WEST

Serious developments in the car
shortage situation on Western rail-
roads are now causing officials of all
roads considerable worry and ii Is pos
sible that In the course OF another
month practically all shipments of
Coast products TO Eastern markets
will be tied.up entirely and several in
dustries closed or run only part of the
time. says the Gazette.
The situation has been viewed with
alarm for some time and according to
railroad officials II is worse now than
Il has ever been. The demand for
products of the West by the warning
nations OF Europe has caused the
great bulk of all freight shipment to
go eastward. Canned goods from Cali
fornia and Oregon and other Western
products have been carried east and
the cars cntaining the goods are now
tied up in Eastern railroad yards wait
ing for ships to carry the contents to
Europe.
Freight shipments from the East to
the West are lighter now than for
some time and for every freight train
that comes from the East there are
two that go East from the West. Once
the cars leave the Western lines they
are lost for months.
On the Southern Pacific railroad, ac-
cording to J. NJ. Fulton, there are from
100 10 $50 more cars go East each
week than return thus leaving the road
that much shorter of rolling stock
The Southern Pacific Company owns
1880 box cars. or this number there
are over 5000 cars tied up in Eastern
yards. The company ordered 1900
new box cars last year and this equip
ment is now beginning TO arrive. To
hurry up the arrival OF the cars the
company is having them sent from the
East empty and paying Sl35 900 freight
on them. so great is the need of cars
In the West.
In Nevada. the live stock men and
the lumber mills are feeling the effect
of the car shortage greatly. At the
present time there are 200 carloads OF
stock in the Eastern part of the state
waiting shipment TO the Coast. This
morning there were only five stock
cars available 10 care for this trade.
All live stock cars that are sent from
Nevada to the Coast are boarded VI
and covered with black paper and
other products returned to them
When the cars reach Reno or Other
points in Nevada the boards are
knocked off and they are then loaded
with live stock again. Long trains OF
these cars arrive in the Reno yards
every day.
Both the Verdi and Westwood lum
Der mills are suffering for cars and
their product is piling up rapidly in
the yards although they both have
orders from Eastern cities for all the
lumber they can turn out. Out of 81
cars ordered by the Westwood mills
this morning. they received only two
cars
The car shortage Is becoming worse
every day." said Mr.. Fulton. "and il
seems impossible to relieve the situa-
uon. We have been hoping for weeks
that the demand for Eastern made
goods would increase in the West and
let us bring in one train more daily
from the East than goes from the
West, but the tide is turning the other
way. Both the railroad company and
the shippers are losing. The railroad
could handle twice as much business
right now II It's equipment was moi
tied up. In normal times the equip
ment of the Southern Pacific is large
enough TO handle all business but
when the cars once pass Ogden we bid
them goodbye. The situation may
clear up. but Il seems to be getting
worse"