Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-01-25
RAILROADS MUST
END CAR FAMINE
WITHIN 10 DAYS
|. C. C. Orders Carriers to APP
point Committee and Help
Work Out Relief for
High Prices.
DELAY FURTHER ACTION
If Lines Fail to Return Coal
and Refrigerator Cars, Board
Will Issue Addition
al Orders.

Washington. ID. c.. Jan. 22-Drastic
Regulations. designed to relieve the
shortage in coal cars and help bring
about Il lowering of present high prices
of coal, We're prescribed today by tho
Interstate Commerce commission.
The regulations require return TO
original owners of all coal cars as fast
as unloaded and give the railroads 10
days to devise methods for relieving
the shortage in other types of cars.
The commissions order also requires
the railroads to apply the same regu-
lated cars.
Must Name COMMITTEES.
The new order becomes effective
February 81. The committee, which
the railroads are called on to appoint,
should be vested, the order states. with
plenary powers and should cooperate
with the commission in seeking relief
for the shortage OF other types Of cars.
Unless such a committee is appointed
within 10 days the commission declares
1t will act independently and consider
the issuance Of such orders as 1T deems
necessary to relieve the situation. In
Issuing today's order the commission
was divided, Commissioners Clark.
Clements and Hall dissenting from the
continue In effect until May 4.
Finds Unparalleled Conditions.
Issuance Of the order is q culmina-
| ton OF the investigation which the
commission has been conducting for
several months. the last hearings hav-
ing been held here December IS. The
hearing was attended by the represen-
tatives of a large number of roads and
shippers and by department of Justice
officials investigating the cost Of living.
who had been in frequent consultation
with officials OF the commission.
The present conditions of car dis
tribution throughout the United States
have no parallel in our history" said.
the COMMISSIONS decision. mills have
shut down, prices been advanced, per-
ishable articles Of great value have
been destroyed and hundreds of car
loads of food products have been de-
layed in reaching their natural mark
PTS. In some territories there have been
so many cars on the lines OF the carrier
and in their terminals that transport
tation service a been thrown into un-
~precedented confusion. Long delays In
transit have-been the rule rather han
the exception and operations of estab-
lished industrial activities have been
made uncertain and difficult. These
conditions have made necessary a far
reaching investigation by the commits
sion n now urgently demand prompt
decisive action.
Roads Promises Broken.
In spite of the efforts which had been
made to put a stop to the diversion and
misuse of cars, commission inspectors
day after day reported numerous in
stances of such diversion and misuse.
urgent as is the need for relief the
respondent (the ~railroads) with but few
exceptions, have failed to afford such
relief. They have assured the commits
sion that they would put a stop to the
diversion and misuse of coal and re-
frigerator cars and would return those
cars to their owners without delay, but
since thai assurance was given hun
dreds of instances of diversion and mis-
use have been called to our attention.
ut lis clear that the entry Of a for
NAL order is necessary to protect ship
pers, consignees and the general pub.
1icb rH"