The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-12-03
HELP RAILROADS
IN WAR SERVICE
Cooperation of Shippers and
Travelling Public Contributes
to Efficiency.
PASSENGER TRAFFIC IS CUT
Thousands of Train Crews and Loco.
motives Thereby Released for
Hauling Freight Needed by
the Government.

Chlcago.-Reports just compiled for
the railroads war board Indicate that
the travelling public in general and the
shippers in particular are giving the
finest kind of cooperation to the rail
roads in handling the increased traffic
that the war has produced. What
this cooperation means may be
CLEANED from these facts:
Since May l the railroads, aided bv
the loyalty and understanding of the
public, have been able to reduce their
passenger service by approximately
25,OOOOOO miles. This has released
thousands of train crews and lOcomo-
tiveS for use in the freight service and
cleared thousands Of miles of track,
thereby facilitating the movement of
coal, food products and supplies need
ed by the government.
In addition to the foregoing saving
of equipment and trackage, the ship
pers, big and small, have rallied so
splendidly to the slogan. make one
car do the work of two that a saving
of close to half million freight cars
has been accomplished. This saving
of freight cars has enabled the rail-
roads to move approximately 25 per
cent more freight since war was de-
clared than during the same period
last year.
Intensive Loading Helps.
Intensive loading and a general in
crease in the size of the trade units"
used by the various industries has rem
dered possible the saving of car space.
Cotton, for instance, which was for
merly moved in units of fifty bales, now
moves only in units of IS and rs. As
there are 100000 bales to be moved
by rail each season, the increase in
the trade unit in this one commodity
alone has produced saving of any
where from $1,000 to 125,OOO cars.
Sugar, on which the carload minimum
from the South was formerly only "a
600 pounds per car, now moves only on
q 60,000-pOund carload minimum. The
producers of manufactured food prod
uctS, especially the Gamers, have also
come to realization of the value of
Intensive loading and are now loading
virtually all of their cars to capacity.
Coal, which has been loaded beyond
capacity on most lines since the be-
ginning of the war; is also moving free
ly now, although labor troubles in some
parts of the country is tending to coun-
teract the efforts of the railroads to
meet the abnormal demand for fuel.
During the past month the supply of
cars on the Take coaP' lines has been
increased 25 per cent and there has
been some increase IN the movement
of bituminOus coal to the lake ports,
but it has not been proportionate to
the increased supply of cars, as labor
trouble has tended to decrease the
mine production.
Renewed Efforts Necessary.
Although excellent results have been
achieved to date through the co-opera-
ton of the shippers, the travelling pub
lie and the railroads, 1t will be neces-
sary for all concerned to exert re-
newed efforts, as the abnormal de-
mands upon the railroads in the move
ment Of both troops and supplies is
constantly increasing, while the secur-
ing of new equipment is virtually i'm
possible. From now on $500 cars a
day will be required by the govern
ment to move food and supplies to the
men in training at the National army