The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-07-25
Traffic Increased Greatly.

The regular traffic, he explained. has
been larger probably than in any pre-
vious period in the history of the coun-
try. Traffic was heavy before the
United States entered the war;" he
said, because of the necessity of NOV
ing tremendous quantities of supplies,
material and finished products for the
allies, but since April it has increased
tremendously. The reports for the
month of April show that the railroads
of the United States in that month
handled over 3,O00O00,0OO more ton
miles than were handled during the
same month in 1916, an increase in
business amounting to 16 per cent.
And the traffic in April, 1916, although
there was strike impending, was
heavy compared with almost any year
before the beginning of the European
war
"On May l. when the railroads war
board was established and the rail-
roads set out to cooperate with it in
an effort to get greater national eff
cheney, there was a car shortage of
14S,G27 cars. At the end of June this
shortage had been decreased to $4,000
cars, though business was increasing
Mr.. Willard said that, in the judg-
ment of many railroad men who have
followed the situation closely, vital
congestion would have hindered the
transportation of troops, seriously de-
bn 90 he
ments and aggravated the coal situa-
ton if the railroads had not vountari-
~ made themselves ready to act as a
unit in response to the suggestion of
the Council of National Defense. &
Beginning with April g." he said,
business activity has been greater
than ever before in America, l think.
1t was stimulated in many directions
by the manufacture of uniforms, cloth
ing, materials for the building of can
tonments, making of ammunition, etc.
Then traffic was increased by the with
drawal of many Of the lake boats, and
the roads had to assume that extra bur-
den. Boats We're also withdrawn from
coast traffic, both ON the Atlantic and
the Pacific, and much of the bulk that
has been going through the PANAMA
canal was turned over to the railroads.
And there were other factors. For in
stance, the farmers of the country re-
sponded in fine spirit to the request
Of the secretary of agriculture that
they plant more land. They planted
30 per cent more land than year ago
and called upon the railroads to move
large quantities of agricultural imple-
ments, fertilizer, seed, ETC."
Congestion Before the War.
Before Americas entrance into the
war;" Mr.. Willard said, there was
serious railroad congestion, not because
the railroads were broken down, but
because traffic had been extraordinary
ly heavy and there was no concerted
move possible to get greater efficiency.
One of the first steps of the war board
was to request the railroads to give
preference to the movement of coal.
particularly coal for the government,
and that the second preference should
be given to ore. Means for identifying
government shipments were devised,
and orders were sent out by the rail-
roads to send government freight
through to destination whether or not
there were through rates and divisions
prevailing. Ways were also planned
to accelerate allied shipments after
conferences with representatives of
the allied nations. And the roads were
encouraged and urged to expedite the
repair of cars and of locomotives and
to load cars to their utmost capacity"