The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-11-26
All Their Facilities Will Be
Pooled for Expeditions
Movement of Freight
ORDER is ISSUED
BY THE WAR BOARD
Operating Vive Presidents a Committee
to Garry Out Revolutionary Program
To Shift Men from West and Loco
motives to Be Brought East.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The en-
tire railroad system Of the eastern part
Of the United states will he revolt
tionizcd in operation for war purposes
in accordance with action taken Satur-
dav bv the railroads war board after
consultation with heads of government
organizations devoted to war activities.
Direction was given by the railroads
war board "that all available facil
tiles on all railroads east of Chicago
be pooled to the extent necessary to,|
furnish maximum freight movement.
This means that the Eastern railroads
are to be operated as a unit as long
as the present emergency exists, prob
ably for tine period of the war. No
Eastern railroad viii be operated as a
separate entity, but viii take its orders
in the handling of freight from a cen
tral body composed of the operating
Vice Presidents of the Eastern lines,
who have been instructed by the rail
roads war board to adopt all measures
which in their judgment may be ncees
sary to relieve the present situation
and assure the maximum amount OF
transportation.
An official statement issued tonight
by the railroads war board says the
measures adopted are revolutionary.
Part OF the program agreed upon Is
already in effect 1t is expected that
the entire revolutionary change in rail
! road operation viii Toe in fun swing
ON Monday. Vigorous instructions have
| gone out TO the various railroads affect
/ ed to conform TO the plan.
1 There seems TO be question as to
/ the legality of the pooling arrangement,
/ but tine railroads war board obtained
assurances from the government OIL
! Gals with which it conferred today
! that they believed the pooling ordered
was permissible in this time of war.
! At any rate. the railroads 'waf. eeart,
| which is 4 voluntary ltt,i4-gevGrnment
/ organization composed of railway eN-
ecutiycs. felt justified under the stress
/ Of circumstances to take its chances
on going contrary to the interstate com
I meree statutes in the knowledge that
it WAS acting from patriotic motives,
The arrangement made did not en-
brace all the measure which the rail
roads have contemplated adopting. The
4 passenger problem must be met soon.
1t is the understanding that the Penn
4 ylyauia and Baltimore \ Ohio Rail
roads will reduce their through passen-
i ger service between Eastern points and
Chicago, thus compelling those finding
1t necessary TO take fast trains to pat
ronizc other paralleling lines In addi-
ton, roads that handle the bulk Of
coal, coke, and steel products will stop
carrying other materials, but the new
arrangements viii enable shippers to
have these other materials carried over
lines that are not 50 largely devoted
to transporting coal, coke, and steel.
Another problem vet to be adjusted
relates to the advisability of refusing
to carry essentials and luXurics and
the materials necessary for their pro.
duction. Flowers and confectionery ar,
regarded as in this class. 1t was pro
posed recently by the railroads that
they should not haul coal for the rs,
of florists. The railroads estimated
that If this were done great quantities
of coal needed for war industry would
be saved. The florists protested Sc
vigorously, however, that action wa,
deferred. They represented that Their
industry would come to standstil