Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-11-16
10y MORNING Jovss.. srse,A. lsAsso wr.s.


Washington, Nov. 15.--Denial Of
rail transportation to more than 500
commodities classed as non-e essential
was recommended to the government
today by the railroad war board At
the same time the board put out u
statement declaring the country's ,
railroads at the present rate of in
crease in traffic will be unable to meet
demands that will be made on them
this winter.
The commodities included in the
| lie.
The course of developments" said
the statement, written by Fairfax
! Harrison, chairman of the board, "is
forcing those responsible for the rail-
ways operation to anticipate that
probably they will become unable to
provide transportation for all the
classes of commodities which they
have been moving. Tho time may al
most be here when it will be necessary
to distinguish in railway transporta-
ton between things that are essential
and those that are not
Non-essentiaIs Classified
The list of commodities classed as
essential was made up by "A COM
mittee of railroad traffic officers at
the request OF Robert $. Lovett. the
government director of priority of
transportation. A copy was turned
over also to Fuel Administrator Gar
field who is contemplating the cur
tailment of coal supplies to Industries
not necessary to the public welfare.
The list contains $50 commodities
whose transportation, II is declared,
could be dispensed with without any
great inconvenience to the public and
seventy-five which IL is held the pub
lie could dispense with but not with
out Inconvenience.
The inability of railroads to
move the traffic Is dlr. the statement
points out to tremendous increase
in the volume of freight and passen-
ger business.
Vast Increase of Freights.
Statistics SHOW said the state
nent, that in the months of April
August, inclusive the first five
month OF the war--our railroads ham
died 16 per cent more freight than
in the same months OF 1916. The
traffic handled in these five months
was so per cent greater than moved
in the same months of 1915 and ex-
ceeded the total traffic moved in any
year prior to 1904.
"Perhaps the most remarkable fig
ures are those regarding the move
ment of coal. In the six months from
May to October there were moved
10000 more carloads of anthracite
than in the same months of 1916, an
increase of Is per cent and $4,000
more cars of bituminous and Ignite,
also an IS per cent increase. A total
of 10000 carloads of freight had to
be moved to the national army and
national guard camps
No Greater Facilities.
THE railroads are moving freight
traffic surprising any ever before
known and are doing 1t with almost
no greater facilities than they had
two years ago under conditions which
materially prevent them from increas-
ing their facilities.
1.-THE railways this year have had
to handle the largest passenger busi-
ness ever known. In addition they
transported between August first and
November twelfth. 100000 troops,
involving the use of 2,T5O special
trains"
If the non-essental commodities
are eliminated. says the statement,
the railroads without doubt can move
all commodities required by the gov
ernment for war purposes and by the
| people for subsistence.