The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-16
TIEUP COMPLETE
Midwest Faces Worst Freight
Congestion in History.
No Effect on Prices So Far
Can Ship to Western Points.
CHICAGO, BLOCKADE FOCUS
Urge President to Arm or Con-
vOy Merchant Vessels.
80 Million Bushels of Wheat
Awaits Shipment East.
CHICAGO, BLOCKADE FOCUS

chicago, f'eb- lo--CnlcaSO puSl-
nessmen, whose industries are men
aced by the freight blockade, are fac
ing the most serious situation since
the threatened railway strike last
summer. With their inability to get
their finished products to the markets
or raw materials, comes the predic-
ton that unless immediate relief
comes, thousands of working men
will be thrown out Of employment.
The embargo on further shipments
for export. which was decided upon
yesterday by representatives of thirty
railroads at Washington, virtually
brought the matter to a focus here.
Rail officials and members of the
Chicago board of trade held confer
ence in an attempt to devise some
measure for relief.
Practically the only solution offered
was the move to urge President WIZ
son to either allow merchant vessels
to arm themselves or to furnish con-
voys.
Grain shipments to the east from
Chicago are at a standstin and do
mestic stagnation is becoming pro-
nounced.
s1O.OOO.OOO in Autos Tied Up.
Millions of dollars worth of freight
is lying in warehouses here awaiting
cars. In Detroit s10,O00,000 worth of
new cars are waiting shipment. one
hundred new cars, being driven cross
country in preference to waiting
transportation, passed thru chicago
today.
Grain elevators here contain thirty
million bushels of wheat waiting ship
ment while an additional seven mill
lion bushels is tied up in loaded cars
in the yards. A considerable part or
the grain held here is for domestic
consumption in the east and not for
export.
Several more embargoes were de-
cIared by western roads last night.
The Texas & Pacific put up the bars
on grain to New Orleans; the Santa
Fe, Katy and Burlington on perish
ableS to east of Illinois.
Fear Factories Will Close Down.
The probability of thousands of
workers being thrown out of employ
ment within few days has aroused
city officials and associations of COM
meree. Manufacturers and other en-
ployers will meet today with railroad
representatives and government
agents.
United States military authorities
here are making no effort to hide their
anxiety over the situation. 1t is adj
mitted that if the nation were plunged
into war the freight congestion would
not only hamper the movement OF
would serve to increase the crisis to
the point of a complete tie up of the
larger transfer points.
Worst Ever Known at X. c.
Kansas City. Mo, Feb. 16.-With
the middle west facing the worst
freight tie up and car shortage in
it's history, commission men, retailers
and railroad men did not express any
alarm today over the situation. Yes
terday the five western stock markets
received only two-thirds as many hogs
as was received a week ago. The cat
tie market was weak.
so far the freight congestion has
made little difference in prices, either
up or down. one commission man
said today. II doubt if there will be
a material difference. We fear no
serious results. The trouble in the
west can be easily alleviated of Pa
cific coast shipments.
Wholesale embargoes were an
nounced here yesterday by the Atch-
ison, Topeka & Santa -Fe, the Union
Pacific and the St. Louis & San Fran
cisco railroads. From the south it
was announced at Dallas, Tex, that
the Texas Pacific railroad had placed
an embargo against shipments east of
the Illinois state line, while the Mis-
souri,, Kansas & Texas announced an
embargo against export grain to Gal
weston. This latter step, it was eX-
planned, would stop almost the entire
export grain trade from gulf ports