South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-24
FREIGHT TRAFFIC
BADLY CONGESTED
FOREIGN Bound TranSpOTta-
ton Gets More Attention
Than Domestic Cars.

NEW YORK. Mdrcn "a we are
confronted with a horrible calam-
fly" said a freight man today. NO
less word can describe the confusion,
wasted energy and lack OF system
throughout the country's railroad
lines"
The transportation systems are
overwhelmed. Every terminal here
is surfeited. every pier is overtaxed,
ships cannot find places TO load,
shippers cry for accommodations,
shipments are lost or delayed months
over time. the east bids against the
west IN a grand wrangIe for freight
cars, and the railroad lines fail by
a long way TO get the benefits they
should out OF the present tremen-
dous urge OF industry.
Foreign governments compete
with American manufacturers and
merchants. The railroads are ac-
cused OF favoring war supplies while
American business men can get
neither raw materials nor deliveries
OF their products; the foreign agents
at the same time tear their hair be-
cause shells and powder do not go
forward fast enough.
A new crisis has been caused by
the action OF the British government
in ordering the Cunard shirs TO re-
fuse all freight except that consign-
ed TO the British government, and
in communicating almost all the
cargo space on the other vessels
under the Union Jack This means
the tying up OF export freight in the
yards OF all the great railroad lines
which reach the seacOast here.
Branded Cars.
II you see a car branded For
Government Use YOU may know it
contains supplies for the allies Such
shipments now have freight right Of
way on most railroads. But this does
not mean very much. For instance.
the Superior Steel company loaded
eight cars at Carnegie, Pa, on Jan.
s. Under ordinary conditions these
cars would have been in Jersey City
within three days The first ear Of
the eight did not arrive until March
7, and the other seven cars are
missing.
Companies have declared that
ships have been compelled to leave
here only twO-thirds loaded because
it was impossible for the railroads
to deliver the freight for which
room had been engaged on the yes
sells.
There IS n lamentable lack Of sys-
tenn or sense in everything connect
ed with the situation The railroad
men blame the steamship people and
the steamship people blame the rail-
roads.
Apparently no one connected with
the railroad or shipping business APP
preciated what a volume of stuff
was TO be shipped abroad, or had
any conception of what an impetus
the war was to give to American
business. No preparations were
made and when freight began to
increase the railroad men were not
sure whether it was a temporary
squirt or the beginning of "a big
n ovement. They determined to wait
and see. The longer they waited the
more they saw il swell. Soon they
had their hands fun. BY the time
they realized that the biggest rush in
the history of American railroads
was under way. they were so burden
ed with the wCr' Of handling what
was pouring in upon them that they
had no time for planning or prep
aration.
If only foreign bound freight was
affected Il would not be so bad. but
local. or rather. domestic traffic suf-
fers more than does that bound for
Europe. The whole country is en-
barrassed. Manufacturers in New
England. the middle states. the mid
ole west and TIE west find it as hard
10 get cars as does the Atlantic sea-
board.
Formerly it took not more than so
days To ship cotton from a Texas
point TO a New England mill. Now
81 takes three months or more. Cot
ton which started from Texas last
December has not arrived at Fall
River. Where it is marooned en-
route neither consigner nor con-
signee knows. Shipments Of salmon
from Oregon and Washington have
been wandering over the country
so long that dealers in the east have
given up hope. Dried fruits from
California and fresh fruit from the
gulf districts. which started long
ago, are missing.
There is a pronounced shortage of .
cars west OF the Mississippi. The
western railroads have begged and
protested and at last they went to
the length OF threatening 10 refuse
TO deliver any more cars to the east
ern lines. The eastern traffic men
explained how cars were tied up or
en- route TO the Atlantic ports and T.
asked the western line 20 be patient. .
The western people were patient so
long as they could. but when patience f
ceased 20 be a virtue the eastern
lines agreed to a measure OF relief. .
Now the eastern lines ar doinE their F.
best TO deliver three cars to the west
for very two ears taken from the
western roads and this agreement .
viii continue until the west has
enough OF its rolling stock restored
20 permit II 20 conduct business i'm .
something near the usual form.
Railroads Begging.
The railroads are begging the rail- +