The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-22
Railroads Agree to Cooper
ate with Interstate Com
merce Commission
SPECIAL SHIPMENTS
ARE TO BE SENT
Places in the Middle West
Said to Be Worst
Affected

Washington, D. c., Feb. 22.--The
threatened food and fuel shortage in
many localities, caused by freight CON
gestion and car shortage, seemed to day
to have been averted by the drastic or
ders of the railroads cooperating with
the interstate commerce commission to
rush special shipments to needy towns
and cities. The American Railway as
sociation officials declared to-day that
the danger of an inadequate supply of
living necessities because of transpor-
tation problems was lessened greatly
within the past two weeks and that the
possibility of general shortage through.
out the east was slight.
Chief of the measures adopted by the
chief railroads of the east was the dis
patch of rush orders to all roads con-
cerned for the prompt transportation of
gas coal and coke to Is towns and cities,
including Chicago, Detroit, indianapolis,
Toledo and Springfield, ILL.,, in the mid
die west, where it was announced POS
sible interruption" of light, heat and
power service would result unless the
shortage were relieved at once.
The shortage was said to be the most
seute at Indianapolis, where the coal
supply for gas was reported to be only
three days ahead of requirements. Chi
cago's 100000 ton emergency store of gas
coke has been cut to $4,000 tons, barely
sufficient for three weeks service, al
though Chicago was said to be better
supplied than any other city on the list.
The interstate commerce commission
is endeavoring to meet the situation in
cooperation with the railroad men. A
telegram from President Griffin of the
Chicago board of trade appealing for re-
lief and asserting that riots would re-
suit unless an embargo were placed i'm. |
mediately on all products out of Chicago
except fuel and foodstuffs stirred up
indignation on the part Of
the commission, and drew prompt re-
ply.
Data compiled by the American Rail- |
way association was made public yes
terday showing diminution at New York,
Boston and Baltimore of
The number of cars of export freight on
hand and the amount of wheat held in
elevators and cars awaiting ocean trans
,oration. Officials OF the association de-
Jared there was little likelihood of
general foodstuffs, or fuel shortage in
he east. The car shortage is said to
be less than a year ago.
In this connection it became known
hat week ago virtually every town
nd city in New England faced a -four
anime and that livestock all through
Sew England was starving for lack OF
rain and feed
Prompt action by the railroads in
hipping feed, flour and grain ahead of
assenger trains from Minneapolis has
relieved the pinch.
At that time, it was learned, the com
Mission ordered the railroads to strain
very effort TO extricate the thousands
# empty cars from their congested
ards and rush them west for grain and !
our to be brought east. New York, !
Pittsburg and other cities
ere threatened by serious -four short '
ge. One of the roads protested that
he empties were frozen to the rails and |
hat il would be impossible to get them j
ut, and was told to use dynamite if
ecessary.
As announced by the railway asso. G
alton, the following towns and cities r
ice possible interruption of service of
leir gas producing plants: =,
Chicago, Oak Park, ILL.,, Blue Island, 5
l., Evanston, ILL.,; kankakee, ILL.,, De-
oft. indianapolis, Bloomington, ILL.,, I
arlington, Iowa, Cadillac, Mich, Cold e
ater, Mich, Dekalb, ILL.,, Gslena, H., P
onroe, Mich, Rockford, ILL.,, Springfield. 7
l., Toledo and Wankesha, Wis. q
"To relieve this critical situation" "
ads the associations statement, "the
,sociation has requested all railroads q
facilitate the prompt handling of CO
ipments of gas Goals for gas compa- q
es serving the public, modifying any le
nbargo that may be in effect"