Norwich bulletin., 1917-12-03
SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF
 CAR CREWS EXISTS.

SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF
 CAR CREWS EXISTS. Evening Runs Have Had to Be Omit ted Twive in Past Week. Because of a serious shortage. in trolley crews, the Shore Line Electric Railway company finds itself unable to keep all Of it's cars running. Sev- eral times during the past week the company has been without crews to man the regular cars, and for this reason two evening runs have had to be omitted during the past week. Many of the trolleymen are leaving daily to join the army or navy, while others are going into munitions factories. The trolley company is doing everything in its power to secure men and to keep the cars running. They are handicapped in a way by the law ef- fecting the number of hours of ser vice. This law forbids the company from working any man longer than i6 hours at time and they must then allow him eight hours rest. Thus it will be seen that when the crews have worked a straight Is hours and when there are no spare men to go on the cars, runs must of necessity be omit ted, as was the case Friday evening, when the company took the Falls car off the line at o'clock. This left a half hour service to the Falls.
 
 curtailment of all non-essential ser vice that exists throughout the coun- try at the present time, PreZiGent Rob- ert W. Perkins said on Saturday:
 In my mind there is not any doubt but that in the interest of the conser- vation of both fuel and labor all the street railways of the country will be instructed to reduce their service where it is possible for them to do so.
 A statement touching this matter was received Saturday by the Shore Line road from the American Electric Railway association, New York. The statement says:
 c. Loonlis Allen. past president of the American Electric Railway asso- ciation and president of the firm of Allen & Peck, Inc, operators of cleo tric railway properties in Rochester, Syracuse and Auburn, N. Y, Annapo- lis, Md, and Newport News and Hampton, Va, has been made director with headquarters in Washington, the object being to CO o-ordinate the facili- ties of the country and to place them at the command of the government and of industry. las .-ft
 MT. Allen outlines the purposes of the board as it affects the conduct of electric railways during the war as follows:
 The council of national defense" he said, has wisely decided to call into conference representatives of all forms of transportation for the purpose of CO., ordinating their facilities. The succeNs of our armies and the continuance of our industries depends upon the na- lions ability to provide transportation. The problems involved may be solved if team work between the various in- terests can be brought about. Besides our steam railroads, electric roads. wa terways and motor trucks can all be used for the transportation of mate rialS and men.
 There are 41,ooo miles of electric railway in the country. Of this a lit tie more than 16,O00 miles is interur- ban. Between five and six billion dol lars are invested in electric railway properties. It is in order that the greatest possible use can be made of the resources of this system of trans portation. both by the government and by industry, that the associa tion has organized a war board. It is not a case of the electric railways compet- ing for business with the steam lines. with waterways, or motor trucks-it service which these others perform. If the work is to be done successfully, it will mean not only the fullest CO., operation between the various trans portafion interests but the equal CO., operation on the part of the public
 For instance. electric railways in some eases parallel and in many cases serve the same territory as steam
  arrange schedules as to allow electric lines to take over much of the locul work of the steam roads and so re- lease equipment for through service.
 Tt Is possible also in many cases to arrange for Interchange of traffic between electric lines, which are now in the main operated independently of each other, thus avoiding congestion in steam road terminals and enabling quick shipments.
 
 the priority boards and to the fuel ad- a list of some 45O com- modities which they declare to be non- essential and upon which it is proposed to place an embargo. It is entirely possible that arrangement can be made to transport some Of fisege com modities by electric railways
 Emergency shipments may also be handled by the electric lines. The other day two carloads of goods were. by arrangements made by telephone over night. shipped frcE, Boston to New York by electric lines. The coal supply of one of the large cantonments in the middle west is now being as- sured by an arrangement with an electric line by which the congestion of an important steam road terminal is avoided.
 An important function which cleo cah perform in conjunction with the food administration. is in the collec- ton and distribution of food products, first in the country-from the farmer, and, second, in the city-between the and the retailer Extensive experiments are now being carried on with a container system which if sue cessfu1 will enable goods in quantities l as high as five tons to be carried di- rect1y from the producer to the store where 1t is sold, to the consumer.
 This all means that new uses are being found for the electric roads and l that more new uses will be found. I There are, of course, some engineering problems to be overcome and tSSficul- l ties may be encountred in the restric- | ions which some communities have | placed upon electric railway operation. I That is why the assistance of the | public is necessary. These are war l times and transportation agencies must not be hampered in the rendering 1 If service. I am firmly convinced that ! xrx;fl