The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-10-14
GOAL OPERATORS ID ID LOUISVILLE .AS ID CAR SHORTAGE
Will Confer With Louisville and Nashville Officials and May Appeal to the Com
 merce Commission

To confer with the high officials of tho Louisville and Nashville railroad, delegation of Birmingham coal op- orators will leave Monday night for Louisville. The car shortage contin- ues to be so acute in this district, that operators with mines along the lines of the Louisville and Nashville rail- road, have determined to discuss the situation with the railroad executives. At this conference, the operators will bare the situation to the railroad chiefs and see if 1t is possible for the railroad to relieve the scarcity Of equipment
 This is regarded as the beginning of a movement for relief. In view of the practices Of the southern rail- roads in holding the equipment of the southern lines, the operators propose to go before the interstate commerce commission at an early date and ask for an investigation of the car short age IL is a fact that the shortage, while perhaps more acute in this dis trict than elsewhere, exists over the entire country. However, in the inter- change of railroad carriers, the south ern railroads have suffered. It Is said that two northern railroads have over leo per cent of equipment.
 While exact figures are not available, it is known that the majority of the railroads supplying the operators with coal cars in this district have less than 60 per cent of their equipment on their own lines. One of the leading coal carriers admits that it has less than 50 Der cent Of it's equipment on it's own lines.
 As to what relief the ccal operators will obtain from the interstate com However, the commission has gone on record as having the power to deter mine regulations.
 This decision was rendered in 1915 in the case of the Missouri and Illinois coal operators against the Illinois Cen tral railroad company, as decided No- vemher 13, 1913. Tart of the decision was:
 Held, that the temporary confsca- ton by carriers of the cars of other railroads is unlawful.
 Carriers are required to make req sonatle rules and regulations with re- spect to the exchange, interchange and return of cars used with their routes and where they have failed in this respect the commission Is ern- powered to determine the individual or joint regulation or practice that is just, fair and reaSona hle."
 With this decision in mind, the oper- ators are of the opinion that the prac- tice of the northern railroads in hold ing southern equipment is temporary confiscation."
 The personnel ot the party that will go to Louisville for the conference with the Louisville and Nashville officials has rot been definitely determined, hut it is believed that fully 10 opera tors, representing the largest interests in this district, will make the trip.
 This conference Is not a general one. In 1t will participate only those oper ators who have mines that the Louis vile and Nashville supplies.
 Since the shortage has been felt, Birming gham coal operators have con- ferred with several prominent railroad executives, including T. c. Powell, vice president of the Queen and Crescent, and Charles H. Mark nam, president of the Illinois Central and the Central Of Georgia.