The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-09
GETTING AFTER
|. CAR SHORTAGE
Promotion Of Car Efficiency Is Help
Ing to Relieve the Call for Box
Cars Which Has Been
Very Loud.
SHIPPERS MUST HELP
Loading Cars to Capacity and Prompt
Unloading by Shippers is Co.
operation That Must
Be Given.
SHIPPERS MUST HELP

1
quarters in Des Moines, sends to
Local Agent c. R. Milligan a copy OF
letter on Promoting Car Eth
cheney" which he sent to r. ID.
Faxon, secretary of the Chamber OF
Commerce, Des Moines, Iowa. The
question of increasing car efficiency
is one requiring and receiving care
full attention of railroad operators,
and in order to get the fullest efti-
cheney shippers must cooperate with
the railroads operating departm ents.
Mr.. Eberhart has requested that the
matter be presented to the keokuk
Industrial association and their Co
operation is requested. His letter to
the Des Moines Chamber of Com
merce is as follows and should be
read and complied with by those in
terested in relieving the car short
age:
The railroads are making a cam
paign to promote car efficiency by
working direct VIII the shippers to
load cars to full capacity, as near as
possible, in order that the car stu
alton. which as you know, has been
very bad for months, may be relieved,
| and / am pleased to find that many
| of our wide-awake shippers appre-
/ ciate the situation and are heartily
cooperating with us, by loading to
the maximum capacity, when their
orders will permit and at the same
time working with their customers to
place orders for their material In
| larger quantities, in order that max
| irlum cars may be shipped.
| One Des Moines firm, the Hawkeye
| Portland Cement Co., has shipped
many double cars, each of these ship
ments saves box car, to be applied
on other shipments of their product,
or on some other shippers order.
We would be glad if the Chamber
of Commerce would take some Off
ciaI action and through its members,
lend a helping hand in this case,
which is of national importance.
| In connection with this subject, l
desire to quote recent letter, ad
dressed to one of our executive off
GERS by Chairman Harahan of the
Special American Railway association
committee on national defense, south
eastern department, to the carriers
in that territory, respecting car load
ing and efficiency, reading as follows:
THE question of increasing
| ing and unloading Of cars being
of such vital importance to the
railroads at the present time, it
| is felt that we should exert
every possible effort in keeping
before the public the absolute
| necessity of their cooperation
along these lines. AS you are
aware, some organizations are
already actively engaged in this
/ movement, and in some cities
organizations composed entirely
! of shippers are alert to the stu
alton and have placed themselves
| on record to reduce as far as
| possible the time now consumed
in loading and unloading freight
/ cars.
| There is a Chamber of Com
merce, board of trade, or similar
organization located at pracu-
cally every small town and the
| railroads are always asked to
contribute to them in some way,
by taking memberships for their
| representatives and in other
| directions. Only 43 percent of
the box car space is utilized in
loading and an increase of two
tons per car would add approx
matelv 100000 cars to the pres
| ent equipment available in the
United States To obtain greater
efficiency in this report, represen-
! tatiyes of the railroads, such as
| agents, superintendents, traffic
| representatives, local surgeons,
local counsel, and even officers.
| should endeavor to have these
organizations call meetings and
go before such bodies explaining
to the members the difficulties
confronting the railroads and
lust what is desired. appealing to
their friendship and patriotism in
obtaining their cooperation. At
junction points and large cities
representatives of the lines
should get together in arranging
such meetings in order that con-
certed action may prevail.
These chambers of commerce,
boards of tarde, etc, being COM
posed of practically all the ship
4 pers in their particular local.
ties, it is felt that some very
; effective work could be accom-
plished, local freight agents as
sociations should also be asked
: to take this subject UP and
bring about such movements as
Will agitate the subject. Traffic
associations can also materially
assist in the movement. At
every opportunity interview each
shipper and receiver of carload
: freight, explaining the great
necessity for using car space,
also prompt loading and unload
ing. Urge them not to ship be-
yond their ability to handle, ar
, ranging their shipments so as to
he made uniformly and at periods