The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-02-09
CAR SHORTAGE MATTER OF
VERY GRAVE IMPORTANCE
David Richards Sent Communication to
Senators Nelson and cIapp Also Rep
resentative Ellsworth; Solons Can
Do Nothing, So These Gentlemen Say;
Up To Interstate Commerce CON-
mission; Pamphlet Is Its Answer

from thursdays DaiIy.
David Richards of the firm of ]
B. & D. Richards has been interest.
ing himself in the car shortage stu
alton, and he wrote Senators Nelson
and Clapp and Congressman ELS
worth in regard to the matter. He
has received replies to his communi.
cation which was as follows:
Gas our representative in con-
| gress we feel free in placing before
you a very serious question con-
fronting this country. A seemingly
coal shortage we believe this to be
the reason for an advance in the
price of fuel, which is a tax and q
burden ON this community beyond
measure. The enclosed letter seems
to point to a great coal shortage
Can't congress do something to re-
lieve us? Congress can build bat
tleships for an outward protection,
but what about a relief of this
kind, which is much more essential?
/ have written the interstate com
merce commission and | am in re-
ceipt Of their pamphlet. l hope their
efforts will bring the desired relief.
Yours, David Richards"
Reply From Senator Nelson.
The following is the reply received
from Senator Knute Nelson:
United States Senate, Committee on
Commerce, January, 20, 1917.-Hon.
David Richards, Mankato' Minnesota.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 22nd is
at hand. l have already called the at
tention Of the interstate commerce
commission to the car shortage re-
ferred to in your letter. I do not think
it would be possible at present to Sc
cure any legislation providing for the
building Of cars by the government.
The supply of cars, taking the country
as a whole, is ample if they were
properly distributed and were not
held back. The trouble, to a large
extent, has been that our western
cars have been sent east and have not
only been held an unusually long time
before being unloaded but they have
been diverted by eastern roads for
other purposes and have not been re-
turned to the roads out west who
own them, as promptly as they should
have been. The interstate commerce
commission on the 18th instant, after
a considerable investigation, issued
orders to correct the evil, and to pro-
vide for a more prompt return of the
following cars, to-wit, open-top coal
and coke cars, and railroad owned and
controlled refrigerators, heated, venti-
lated and insulated cars. Yours truly,
Knute Nelson.
Letter From Senator Clapp.
The following letter was written
by Senaor Clapp:
washington, January %, 1917
MIR. David Richards, Mankato, Min
nesota. Dear Mr.. Richards: Yours
of the 10Th inst. is at hand. It is
hard to say just what a be done
with the car shortage. The fact
that shipments are held up OF the
Atlantic seaboard results in the
use of a great many cars that ought
to be on the tracks and 1 will take
the matter up with the commission.
Cordially yours, Moses E. Clapp."
Letter From Congressman Ellsworth.
The following is the reply received
from Congressman Ellsworth:
washington, D. c., January 25,
IBID. Richards, Mankato, Mime
sofa. Dear Sir: Yours of recent
date relative to car shortage is at
hand. At this session of congress,
the short session, it is entirely i'm
probable that any legislation will be
undertaken except the regular ap-
preparation bills, which are of course
indispensable and the programme of
the administration. 1t is I think I'M
likely that even such bills as the
public buildings, river and harbor,
water power, and many others will
be considered in full debate and be-
come a law. In the house the rev.
enue bill of the majority party which
will be considered under a special
rule and made necessary because
the government is facing a 100000
600 deficit will have right of way
over all others commencing this
week or next.
I'VE are now running from IL a.
m. until about six. Later the house
probably will call as early as ten
o'clock and run until eight in the
evening and later until ten or eleven
at night and probably before the
session is finished full night ses-
sions will be had. This will be to
care for the regular routine appro-
priation measures and the admins
tration measures. The calendar is
full of every committee and there
is no prospect at all of any such
matter as you speak of being called
up from any of the house or union
calendar measures on calendar We'd
nesdays, the only day that it could
be called in the usual course of
BUSINESS. There is no prospect Of
a special rule by the rules commit
tee on such a measure, therefore as
you can readily see, there is no
prospect whatever of any relief by
congress under present conditions.
I fully appreciate that the condition
you speak of is very aggravated and
relief ought to be had, but under all
circumstances can hold out little
hope. Sincerely, F. F. Ellsworth"
Anti-Aiien Bill Withdrawn.