Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-18
Road in a Crisis.

- -~W nays
Road in a Crisis.
Vice President A. r. Whaley char.
acterized the situation as the great
est crisis the road has ever had to
face.
1T came while other roads were
congested," he declared, but we are
doing all in our power to clear it up
with cooperation on the part of the
manufacturers we can clear it up in
two weeks, provided we have good
weather; but If not, then it will be
next May before we are out of it. AS
TO a recurrence. we are fighting against
any such possible contingency. We
nave bought up all the available land
between Waterbury and Danbury along
tne tracks, to lay more tracks, and we
nave TOUR tracks now between West
port and Saybrook and are adding to
the tracks between the water sidings
and the New London yards. Factories
should be careful when the embargo
is lifted.
Every. car on a siding now inter-
feres with some train. The cars
should be kept moving.
As for the coal situation. we are
as badly off as are the manufac-
turers. Half the freight coming
through our western gates now is
coal. President Elliott announced.
today, that he had purchased six
ty-eight water carriers to handle
coal for tie road. service"
General Manager Bardo said:
"The New Haven road has its
physical limitations, and people
should remember this. They can
not De taxed too much without de-
creasfng their efficiency. This
manufacturers of the state can help
lot by ordering all their business
other railroads of the country have
helped US even more than could be
expected, and at a loss to them
selves. The New Haven has been
paving $4,000 a day for equipment
that has been doing them no good.
because Of the tie-up. If we are
lucky with the weather man, we
VIII be out of this in two weeks. if
not, 1t will be the end of MAY be-
fore we are back to normal There
are no boats at the terminals To
take the freight"
Sidings and Yards Clicked.
With its yards and sidings choked
road, embargo and all. finds 1t al
most impossible to handle the ire
mendous traffic which is pouring
into New England.
II New England industries, particu-
larly Connecticut industries. cannot
secure raw material and their other
necessary supplies, and cannot ship
their manufactured product ont
there will be very genuine annoy
ancS and distress.
Utilities Commission Acts.
The public utilities commission is
in communication with Chairman
Elliott of the New York, New Ha
ven & Hartford Railroad company.
on the matter of the freight conges,
ton. Some time ago the commission
sent letter to Chairman Elliott in
which Mr.. Elliott's attention was
called to the Inconvenience which
the business interests of the state
suffered by reason of the DELAY in the
delivery Of freight. The letter re-
minded the chairman that it was
more important to the people OF
the state that the necessities of life
should be delivered than that war
munitions should be sent to belig-
erents in Europe.
In reply Chairman Elliott said his
company was fully conscious of the
delay in the moving Of freight and
realized the necessity Of doing every
thing possible to remedy the trouble.
IL later occurred to the commission
that the situation could be improved
somewhat if the Pullman parlor cars
were taken off. The Commission
wrote to that effect to the Company
and pointed out that Pullman cars
cars and persons who had made a
practice of using them would not be
subjected to serious Inconvenience IL
obliged to put up with the accommo-
dation of an ordinary passenger car.
Shortly afterwards the Federal Ex-
press. made up Of Pullman cars. was
taken off and by its discontinuance
three additional locomotives were
at the disposal Of the company for
freight service.
One of the difficulties which the
railroad company has had to contend
with is that of obtaining help to man
freight trains. In many places the
company has hired men and the
manufacturers have hired them over
the company's heads by offering them
higher wages than the company
could afford to pay.