The Colorado statesman., 1917-10-06
RAILROADS UNITED
IN GREAT SYSTEM
All Lines Have Merged Their
Competitive Activities for
Period of War.
Join IN AIDING UNCLE SAM
Cooperation Has Reduced Car Short.
age 70 Per Cent and Increased
Roads Frcight-carrylna
Capacity.


Information gathered by the rail-
roads war board during the first four
months of its existence indicates that
the voluntary act of the 693 railroads
Of this country in merging their COM
petitive activities for the period of the
war and uniting in one continental
system has not only made the trans
portation problem presented by the
war less cumbersome to handle, but
surer of satisfactory solution.
In addition to welding into one loyal
army each and every one of the 1,750,-
900 persons employed by the railroads
from engine wipers to presidents
the coordination of the nations car
riers has made possible the most in
tensive use of every locomotive, every
freight car, every mile of track and
every piece of railroad equipment in
the country. 1t has also facilitated the
securing of invaluable cooperation
from the shippers and the general pub
lie.
Some Concrete Instances.
Some concrete instances of what
lluS Dttu SO-
operation of the railroads, the ship
pers and the public since April 81,
when the war board was created, may
be summarized as follows:
The excess of untitled car requisi-
tions over idle cars, or what is COM
monty called car shortage, has been
reduced 70 per cent. On April 80 the
so-called car shortage amounted to
14S,627. On June 30 these figures
had been cut to TIA. On August 1
the excess of untitled car acquisitions
over idle cars amounted to only 33, 776
In the month of May freight trans
portation service rendered by about 70
per cent of class / roads earnings of
$1,00O,000 or more) was 16.1 per cent
in excess of the service rendered in
1916. In that year, which was one of
unusual activity, the freight service
rendered by the carriers was "a per
cent greater than in 1915. So the car
riers have achieved the astounding
feat of adding to their freight service,
in the short space of two years, an
amount equal to the freight traffic of
Great Britain, France, Russia, Ger
Elimination of Passenger Trains.
Approximately 2O,O00,000 miles of
train service a year have been saved
by the elimination of all passenger
trains not essential to the most press
ing needs of the country. This reduc-
ton of passenger service has released
hundreds of locomotives and train
crews and cleared thousands of miles
of track that are absolutely needed in
the freight service for the transporta-
tion of necessities.
Freight congestion at many import
ant shipping points has been averted
by promptly moving empty cars from
one railroad to another, irrespective of
ownership. By ordering the adoption
of this policy, which is brand new to
American railroad usage, the railroads
war board has moved 113.42O empty
freight cars into districts where they
have been most needed.
Through the pooling of lake coal and
lake ore, a saving of $4,000 cars in
moving these commodities alone has
been achieved.
A further saving of $4,000 cars has
been made possible by the pooling of
tidewater coal.
In their efforts to shoulder the abb
normal burden thrust upon them by
the entrance of this country Into the
war the railroads have not confined
themselves solely to the task of max
ing one car do double work. Through
their war board they have also sup
piled the government with every facil-
ity possible for intelligent co-opera-
ton in the handling of every military
problem involving the transportation
of troops and supplies.
Aided Cantonment Building.
Skilled and experienced railroad men
have been sent to every cantonment to
assist the constructing quartermasters
there in the movement of all supplies,
necessary to the erection and main
tenance of these military cities. A
trained executive has also been sta
toned in the Washington headquarters
of the supervising constructing quar-
termaster so that every car used In
the transportation of government sup
plies might be made available when
needed.
AS a result of these cooperative ac-
tiyities the movement of thousands OF
carloads of lumber and other supplies
TO the cantonments has been accom-
plished practically without hitch.
American Soap Popular in China.