The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-12-29
OPPOSE
COMMISSION ORDER
DRASTIC ACTION WOULD
MAKE MATTERS WORSE
Commerce Commission Would
Order Return of Foreign
Cars--Scent Danger.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-After an
all day hearing, the interstate COM
merce commission tonight took under
advisement the question Of whether
it shall seek to solve the car shortage
problem by ordering all railroads to
return cars of other lines to their
owners Immediately upon unloading.
Railroad representatives. headed by
W. W. Atterbury, vice-president of the
Pennsylvania and president of the
American Railway association, appear
ing in response to summons to show
cause why such an order should not
be issued. earnestly urged against the
action They declared that most Of
the roads were doing their best now
to deal fairly with the public. and
urged that hard and fast rule by the
would interfere with oper-
attons and make the situation worse.
Commissioner McChord said the
railroads seemed to pay no attention
TO the orders of the railway aSSocia-
tion, which has adopted various dras-
TIC measures to relieve car shortage.
Will Not Obey.
The railroads." he said, not only
have violated their written and verbal
agreements but they have deliberately
ben engaged in the paStim Of stealing
cars from each other"
When Mr.. Atterbury objected, say
ing that statement could not be ac-
cepteu as true. Mr.. McChord said he
mad seen letter from one president
stating That other executives were not
soinS 20 need the orders of tn asSo-
cations car service committee.
Don't condemn the whole system of
rallroadS because the present plan is
not working As smoothly as we would
llke to see it." replid Mr.. Attrbury. He
contended further that the present
was no time for an arbitrary order BY
the commission: that January. Febru-
airy. March and possibly April were
months in which railroad operation
Wouid De most difficult. particularly
as the roads had not had time TO work
out the new car service distribution
plans.
There is DO car shortage for normal
traHlc. Mr.. Atterbury insisted, and
there should be no hard and fast COM
mission order based on an abnormal
situation, which. for instance. had
~ tA4No SuC \ lNdIlla lIUIlt
car credit or business originator, TO a
diStributin ssyStem for other lines
originating traffic.
Refused to Pay.
Mr.. Atterbury said the railroads did
not know what might be done about
the refusal of the rGand Trunk system
to pay the Is cents per diem increased
rate for foreign cars on it's line.
We might" he. added, refuse to
unload cars into Canada. over the
rGand Trunk. but that might shut off
the supply Of Canada which comes
entirely from the United States. He
said some action might be evolved in
Canada to deal with the situation" +"
New England. the witness said, al
ready had Strengthened out it's traffic
and conditions never had been better
there. He pointed ort particularly
what had been accomplished by the
New Haven.
All the railroad men scented danger
in any commission order because of
the law imposing $4,000 fine for
violations of interstate CONNER
commission orders. w A. Worthing-
ton, vice-president Of the Southern
Pacific. said the western lines have a
large excess Of. open cars, and def
cheney Of box car equipment. and that
the proposed order if rigidly enforced
might subject his line to an accumu-
latlon OF $23.000,000 in fines.