The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-04
'BROTHERHOODS.
OPEN FIGHT FOR
SHORT TRAINS
Four Unions Will Ask Con.
gress to Pass Bill AZ
fecting Freight.
R. r. OFFICIALS PROTEST.
War Service Will Be Crippled
and Commerce Paralyzed,
They Assert.
R. R. OFFICIALS PROTEST.

WARRINGTON Nov. 3.-Federal legis-
iation to limit the length of freight
trains on all American railroads will be
urged on Congress next month by the
four railroad brotherhoods that forced
the enactment Of the Adamson eight hour
law when nationwide Transportation
strike was ordered last year. All the
pressure their united membership ID
capable OF u to be brought to bear on
members Of Congress to enact such .
law. ostensibly In the Interest Of safety.
Railroad operating ofYiciaIs In WASH
ington. directing the war, efilciency work
OF the Government. assert that the short
train law not only would paralyse the
internal commerce Of the country. but
would put In jeopardy the. fate Of the
allied democracies on the European bat
tlehelds.
Americas big job. it is pointed out, is
to pour such huge flood Of munitions
across the Atlantic that the Teuton in.
vaders will be, crushed by the sheer
weight Of metal. The country's capacity
to do this work Is measured by railroad
tonnage capacity.
Train Load Increase.
The whole campaign Of the Railroad
War Board. which has resulted in haul
ing 20 per cent. more tonnage in 1915
with only a slight increase In cars and
locomotives, has been directed to in
creasing the train load. In April the
average train load was increased to
1ss tons; May to 793 tons. and july.
7S3 tons.
BY making two trains do the work
done by three in 1910, the War Board
has accomplished the same result as II
1t had put thousands Of new locomotives
and scores OF thousands o. new cars on
the rails. These have been the means of
saving enormous quantities OF labor and
materials for the pressing needs OF our
allies. especially In rebuilding Russian
and French railroads. Now with this
accomplished the labor chiefs have
planned a blow which railroad managers
say would be nothing short Of crippling
the service.
Legislative agents Of the big four
brotherhoods for several years have
been introducing short train bills in
every State Legislature. In only one
state. Arisona. have they forced leGisla-
tion. The bill they have now drawn and
behind which the four brotherhoods are
to exert all their efforts would limit all
trains to nifty cars. The brotherhood
national legislative agents have decided
tits waste OF time to conduct a CAM
paign ir orty-eight States when one
national law will cover the country.
Big Trains Comme ded.
The Interstate Commerce Commission.
on which sits former chief Of one of
the brotherhoods has repeatedly COM
mended the carriers for their develop
ment Of the big train and In rate case
opinions has recommended greater ef-
forts In increasing train loading as a
means Of reducing operating costs.
When Justice Brandies appeared as
counsel for the commission in the 1914
rate case. heavier train loading was one
Of his famous efficiency propositions.
To abandon the big train. operating
officers say would not only make unpro-
ductive the enormous expenditures In re-
building the roads for big tonnage
trains. but would force further heavy
for thousands of new loco
motives to haul short trains and for Iad-
ditiN,al tracks and terminal facilities to
handle them.
Operating officers point out the enact
ment Of a short train law would result
in such a congestion of traffic that the
country would be thrown into a trans.
portation panic.