The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-01
WHAT RAILROADS
DID TO HASTEN
COAL SHIPMENTS
Have Co. rdinated Their
Operations in a Continen-
Cal Railway System

s<AA GAftAA@ w - -
ION April IL, the railroads of the
United States announced that during
the present war they would co-oroln-
ate their operations in continents
railway system. merging all their
merely individual and competitive ac-
tfyities in the. effort to produce
maximum of national transportation
efficiency. To that end they created
= >vhat has come to be known as the
S2ailroads' War Board. This board
Mas general authority to formulate in
detail and from time to time a policy
OF operation Of all or any of the rail-
ways.
This action of the railways was the
result of the desire on the part OF
the individual roads to be Of the
greatest service ITO their country in
the present national crisis. The rail-.
road executives appointed to run the
roads asa slh9lkh npit were Fairfax
harrison, President of the Southern
Railway, chairman;. Howard Elliott,
New York. New Haven and Hartford
Railroad Hale Holden, president,
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail-
road. Julius Kruttschnitt, chairman
executive committee, Southern Paci-
fic Railroad and Samuel Rea, presi-
dent, Pennsylvania Railroad.
The first important step of this
: board was announced on April 30
T Tsn. aS1a, a. ga s ta sn @9 the
announcement OF the board is self
n explanatory:
~For the past week the executive
committee has considered some of
the transportation problems before
the country at the present time, hav-
ing in mind first the war with Ger
many and the country's preparation
for it.
.srhe committee has decided that
in view of the depletion of the re-
serve stocks of coal in many sections
of the United States, due largely to
an unprecedented consumption dur
4 ing the past year, the paramount
need is to insure the largest possible
movement of coal to every part of
the country during the coming warm
months.
similarly. the committee recog-
nizes the necessity, particularly in
view of the war with Germany, of
keeping steel mills abundantly sup
piled with iron. ore. For this reason
iron ore is placed second in import
ance to coal in the order issued to
the railroads.
1.-The supreme purpose of the rail-
roads is to see that on every day of
every week the greatest possible
iafnount Of coal and iron ore is han
: died by their lines, and the commit
tee is confident that the response of
the carriers to the order governing
the use of coal and ore cars will be
fmmediatef'
This statement plainly disclosed
that the War Board was fully cog
infant of the supreme importance of
the quick movement of coal and the
order TO the roads showed that the
proper methods were taken to bring
about the desired results. This or
der was framed to give preferePce to
coal and iron Ore traffic. making, it
compulsory upon the individual. roads
to send GondoIa and Hopper cars,
when made empty, to or in the direc-
ton of the home road, either loaded
lor empty. Every movement of the
car, this order stated. must be in, the
interest of prompt return to the home
road; IL necessary. short routing emp
ty cars without charge to accomplish
.this purpose was demanded.
In order that there should be no
evasion or abuse of the spirit of this
rule. the War Board placed the re-
sponsibility OF seeing that it should
unon the sbonIders ofl tl,, ,,,.os; :. a.,
of each individual road. making it an
especial charge upon. his good faith
~ ~ =,
e sh,,sa ~ E,i1s =, ~, 49, 80
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AL sothfr traffic, i'm. the daily distribu-
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az WA Rcer5 =,
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- the war Rnard incIi,de The Cir.
sfafion ~ +,-atv,s asr,,.a,-.s
tfnr .Hsxs al ~ : I,,fl a. f 5ersin sar,,ic.
ner vssr ~ -, 1'
Tba Wa q pe's * .,sr 49,, a,,
noo,;ng q, - t,,,+
wafer norts and The ial~a -ror+s ~ 49,