The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-02-27

Finds Movement of EmptIes to Sec
tions Where They are Needed Pro.
crossing Rapidly.-No Real Danger
as Experts See il.
Washington. Feb. 22-Many emtpy
Freight cars rolled west at passenger
'rain speed today from congested
railroad yards Of the East, according
20 interstate commerce commission
sdvices from its investigators. Fair
weather and a holiday combined gave
Ihe roads the first real opportunity
in more than a week to exert their
maximum energies to relieve he car
shortage that has threatened near
famine in some sections o. the coun-
ary.
Officials of both the railroads ard
commission expressed the conviction
tonight that the acute stage of the
shortage had passed and that steady
Improvement in the situation would
continue. at no time, 1t was said,
had conditions reached the acuteness
of the tieup year ago.
ears invovled in the tieup, according
so reports to the commission from
virtually every road in the country
increased by more than one-third in
Ghe two weeks between January 27 and
February 10 and On the latter date
reached the grand total Of 1924.
The situation at Chicago, while
causing some concern to government
and railroad officials was not regard
ed here as desperate Officials said
that similar conditions prevailed, to a
great extent. at other cities through
cut the country.
Wouldn't Help Sufferers
Statements that Chicago had been
getting only four or five cars day
for the shipment East of wheat for
domestic use were met at the COM
mission Offices with the assertion that
the records showed that Chicago has
been receiving approximately 200 cars
day and that about one-half Of them
were used for export wheat Instead
of reducing prices, the transportation
out of the country of great quantities
of wheat tended to raise the price,
officials said, and the movement Of
export wheat East could bring no re-
lief to sufferers from soaring prices in
Eastern cities.
Officials thus far have confined
their energies to unravelling the
transportation snarl and affording re-
lief to communities threatened with
shortage Of fosdstuffs and fuel rath-
er than studying the effect of the
shortage and congestion on prices Of
aecessaries. So far as reports relate
% shortage, it was said both at the
interstate commerce commission and
the car service commission. there
was nowhere in the country at the
present time an actual shortage of
-sood or fuel needed for domestic con-
sumption. :
Enough for Present.
Every city in the East. it was said
so far as known, has plenty OF food
for immediate requirements and ris-
ing prices could not be justly attri6-
ated to shortage. Reserves had been
almost WHY'D out in the case Of flour
ia New England but the situation
-dhere was reported to have improved
mea surably.
The 1924 cars involved in the
general tieup are distributed in every
section of the country and include all
classes, loaded and empty. which for
reasons due to congestion are tempo
Tariiy withdrawn from transportation
service They were distributed by
sections as follows:
New England, 4704, an increase of
1000 per cent. in three weeks; New
York, New Jersey, Delaware. Mary
land and Eastern Pennsylvania, 49,
S61, so per cent. increase; Ohio, In
#ana, Michigan and Western Penn
Hylvania, 41,101. decrease Of IL per
cent; Virginia, West Virginia and the
Carolinas. 3.791, a 10 per cent. in-
crease: Kentucky, Tennessee, Missis-
sippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida,
s,726, a 80 per cent. increase; ILL.,
nois, Iowa. Wisconsin and Minnesota.
1S,493, a sixty per cent. increase;
Montana, wyoming. Nebraska and the
Dakotas, 5,264, (held by snow block
ade) as compared with none January
20.
In the West.
kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mis-
souri, and Aransas, 1899, a 25 per
cent increase; Texas, Louisiana and
New Mexico, 3,521, a 13O per cent.
increase; Oregon, Washington. Idaho,
Nevada California, Utah and Ari-
zona, 1859, a 16 per cent. increase;
on Canadian lines connecting with
american roads 22,445, IS per cent
increase.
Severe weather in the North and
New England, the inability of con-
Meeting lines to handle the cars, con-
gestion of home lines, freight en-
5argoes and occasional shortage Of
power were the chief reasons assign
&c for the tieup by reporting roads.
The total of 1924 compared with
1852 January 80; 122,221 January
27> and 145,S67 February 8, the great
est February 3, the greatest ratio Of
increase being about 20 per cent
IN roo1y bociDpinu Tapuorv %