New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-11-15
CAR SHORTAGE IS
SERIOUS PROBLEM
SITUATION IN NORTHWEST is
DECLARED MOST ACUTE in
YEARS.
NEW ULM SHIPPERS SUFFER
FROM CONDITIONS WITH
OTHERS.

OTHERS.
Shippers of New Ulm, like those of all
the rest Of the country, are hit by the
acute car shortage, which the railroads
are experiencing at the present time.
Agent Leary of the Minneapolis & St.
Louis, says there never has been time
in the memory Of the oldest railroader
when the situation has been so serious
as for the past three weeks.
1T has been bad enough for more
than three months, but never so serious
as since about the middle of October"
he said. ct is simply impossible to get
sufficient rolling stock to handle the
traffic. This applies especially to box
cars in condition to ship -four, which of
course, is the principal commodity going
out of New Ulm. We are not so bad off
for flats and gondolas, but we are way
way behind when it comes to handling
flour"
Demurrage Will Be Expensive.
December l the new demurrage rules
will go into effect, when it is expected
there will be some relief. On that date
there will be radical change in those
rules. Under the present rates, shippers
are allowed forty-eight hours in which
to unload a car, after which they are
charged 81 day. demurrage. Beginning
with the first of next month, they will be
allowed the usual time for unloading,
but for overtime it will be decidedly
expensive to hold car. For the first
day after the expiration of the forty-eight
hour limit, 81 will be charged; the second
day, So; third day 81, and SIS day for
each day u7till It is released. This is for
traffic only, ana the new rate
was made at the instigation of the Inter
state Commerce Commission, in the hope
that by that method the situation might
be relieved.
The car shortage exists throughout
the Northwest, the Twin Cities being
practically cut off from all supplies.
Shippers Are Alarmed.
Shippers all over this section of the
country are alarmed over the prospects
they expect to face with the closing of
the Great Lakes shipping season. While
the closing of the lake traffic is in itself
considered serious handicap in the
Northwest, the general situation has been
found worse than was expected by the
attitude of the Canadian railroads.
A short time ago Minneapolis grain
men purchased 100000 bushels of Cana
dian wheat on the strength of the wide
difference of price between the Winnipeg
and Minneapolis exchanges. The prices
there had dropped to a point where the
Minneapolis men thought it would be
profitable to buy on the Canadian market
and ship to the United States and pay
the duty. Now it transpires that no
shipments can be promised, as the rail-
roads of Canada have taken a stand
against permitting any Of their cars to
cross into the United States, where they
say they may be lost for years.
Some time ago it was discovered that
Eastern and Southern roads were failing
to return cars to the Northwestern roads,
once they had been permitted to slip /
through Chicago. The roads then at
tempted to prevent their equipment
getting beyond the limits of the metrop-
oils at the head of Lake Michigan, and j
headed off this system of car stealing"
to certain extent, but not on large
enough a scale to be very effective.
Junction Points May Be Key.
The Interstate Comm cree Commits
sion has requested that it be furnished
as soon as possible the number of loaded
cars held at railroad junction points .
and on terminal railways.
The request was based on testimony !
given by railroad officials, in a hearing
in connection with an investigation as
to the methods of an exchange of cars
by the railroads.
The principal drawback to New Ulm
shippers is that the bulk of the ship
ments from this point is that only first !
class cars may be used. It is impossible
10 ship flour: insanything but box cars
IN the best ofseondition. Cars that have
mad coal or other like commodity, can
not be used for, flour. !!
Temperatures
a. m. Maximum