Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1917-09-12
NEED MANY TRAINS
RAILROADS TO BE TAXED TO Ut
MOST SOON, DUE TO THE
WAR MOVEMENTS,

The following dispatch from ,he
Railroads War Board illustrates the
difficulties facing us during the next
month:
Chicago, Sept. 2.-Passenger facil-
tiles of the railroads of the United
States will be taxed to the utmost the
coming month in transporting the
$4,000 men in the regular army to the
various environments, carrying visitors
to numerous state fairs and handling
the regular passenger traffic.
The movements OF troops must have
precedence over all other traffic even
{ it it is necessary to reduce or even
abolish the special trains which in
former years have been run to accom-
mOdate those attending state and
county fairs. 1t is possible that in
places there may be difficulty in main
tanning on certain days the regular
passenger service, on account Of the
extraordinary call by the government
for passenger equipment.
To move merely one field army of
$4,000 men requires 1929 cars, made
up into 366 trains with 366 locomo-
tives and train crews.
In addition to moving the 687, 900
men in the regular army, the railroads
have been asked to transport 100000
men of the national guard to their
training camps.
Between September and Septem-
Der the railroads must complete the
movement of 100000 men, about 80 per
cent of the new army, and the trans
portation of the entire force must be
completed early in October.
Car Shortage is Reduced.
Efficiency measures inaugurated by
the Railroads War Board, combined
with the hearty cooperation Of ship
pers in the effort to make one freight
car do the work of two" are produc-
ing most desirable results.
Although there has been an increase
in the volume of business, the number
of untitled orders for freight cars on
August l was only 33,776, according to
reports received by r. H. Ashton,
president of the Chicago & North
| Western railway and chairman of the
Central Department committee of the
Railroads War Board. On May /, the
number of untitled orders for cars was
four times as many as on August l..
On June l the number was 1O6,647,
and on July /, 1852 cars.
| While the car situation is improving.
the railroads are under no illusions
and the public should not be deceived.
A greatly increased demand for cars
in the fall and winter is inevitable and
! greater efforts must be made by both
the railroads and their patrons to pro-
mote efficiency in transportation
Roads Move More Coal.
/ At the conference of councils of de-
! tense of seventeen states, held here, A
M Schoyer, vice-president of the
Pennsylvania lines, stated that from
January l to August the railroads
have transported more coal than in
the same period of any previous year.
Taking all classes of traffic, the rail
roads rendered 26 per cent more
| freight service last June than in the
same month of last year, although
there was an increase in cars of only
3 per cent and in locomotives of less
than one-half of l per cent. They were
able to do this because they increased
by p per cent tn amount Of traffic
handled by each freight car Railway
managers attribute this increase in
car efficiency to better operation of
the roads themselves and to vigorous
cooperation which the railroads are
receiving from shippers in loading the
cars heavier and in loading and un-
loading them more promptly.