Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-11-30
Assumes Control OF Casters Rail.
roads.

The Railroads War Board last Saturday
night announced the most drastic step yet
taken in the history of railroadine on the
American continent, to meet the tremen-
dous emergency demands Of wartime
transportation.
The board directed that AL available
facilities on the railroads east Of Chicago
be pooled to the extent necessary to fur
nish maximum freight movement"
The operation of the roads. the War
Board states, will be entirely regardless
Of the ownership and individual interests. 81
A statement from the board continues:
The operating vice-presidents of the
eastern lines have been appointed CON-
mittee to operate as unit all lines in
volved and have been given instructions
and authority to adopt all measures which
in their judgment may be necessary to
relieve the present situation and assure
the maximum amount Of transportation"
Following their pooling agreement Of
Saturday. immediate steps to relieve
freight congestion and clear the tracks
for the coming war winter have been
taken by representatives of the Railroad
War Board. Instructions to train and
yardmasters on every road in the country
have been dispatched. and the practice
OF using the equipment of all roads on the
basis Of one unified system will be put
into effect Immediately.
Loaded cars in shipyards and other in
dustrial plants will be emptied at once.
Train schedules will be heightened in the
passenger service to lessen the danger of
tie-ups resulting from delays, and con-
gestion at seaports and all regional GATE
ways will be broken up at the first sign
OF trouble by temporary embareoes to be
placed Immediately on all freight billed
for these destinations. Except on over
crowded lines. all freight will be shipped
from point Of origin to destination along
the most direct line Of communication and
circuitous routes will be avoided.
In this way the board hopes to relieve
the traffic pressure that has been suddenly
thrown upon the roads by the need for
war transportation. Since the comman-
deerine Of all coastwise shipping facilities
by the Government. the railroads have
been forced to take over the Transports
ton Of coal to coastwise points. and will
also be required to move the cotton crop to
the mills and factories.
They have already carried back and
forth 100000 soldiers for the Govern
ment since the opening Of the war. and
aside from extra service required at the
camps and environments. the supply Of
food and clothing this winter for the boys
still in this country will require $500 carr
daily.
The railroad troubles began with the
building Of the sixteen national army can.
tonments when hundreds OF thousands Of
carloads of lumber and other building ma.
terials had to be moved to those points
On top Of this came the pressure for ship.
building materials and the transportation
Of selected men and National Guard to the
new camps
Freight congestion that arose more than
a year ago over the shipment Of munition,
from Atlantic terminals had nearly beer
adjusted when the avalanche Of new wal
work came down upon the country witt
its entry into the war. At present there
are thousands Of freight cars still tied up
at army environments, in shipyards and
at industrial plants, and still more thou.
sands awaiting unloading at seaport ter
minals. As rapidly as 1t can be &C
complished these cars will be emptied anC
sent back to the empty car supply and il
the future efforts will be made to delive
cars at such points only as rapidly as ar
rangements can be made to unload them
With the equipment Of all the Easter
roads operating at its maximum efficienc!
II Is predicted the large labor increases
will be demanded by the railroads to han
die the cars and freight and keep the traffi,
and yard ways in condition. With tn
progress Of the war it is believed the mai
power of the country will become more an,
more centralized on emergency war worn
and 1t is not improbable that with increas
ing demands for man power the Presid
may order temporary exempting from an,
service for all men engaged in the trans
portation emergency
Relief for the congestion Of the princi
pal freight highways is seen in the ne,
arrangements for the use by any Of tn
railroads Of the tracks belonging to com
petine companies.
Competition has been done away witt
for the period Of the war, and any roa,
having shipments billed to points NOR
directly reached over the lines Of neigh
boring companies will make such shipment
direct over such lines. Under this plal
more delay may result in unimportan
freight. while every effort will be made L
accelerate delivery Of essential shipment
over straight line hauls. Priorities put int
effect by the Government will be rigid,
enforced to guarantee delivery Of war prod
ucts on time. and the railroads will con
tinue to fight the issuance Of special per
mits on non-essential material.
Under the excessive operating expenses
which the roads are now bearing il is i'm
possible to estimate what their receipts
this year will be, but an effort will b,
made to adjust their profits to enable then