The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-11-23
BRATTLEBoRo DAILY REFoRMER FRIDAY NOVEMBER % 1917

in units of 80 bales, now moves III
units of SO and -. AZ there are now
lS,Q00,000 bales to be moved by rail
each season, the increase i'll the trade
unit III this one commodity alone has
produced a saving of anywhere from
$4,000 to $4,000 ears. Sugar, on which
the carload minimum from the South
WaJ formerly only $4,000 pounds per
car, now moves on a 10000 pounds ear
load minimum, and it is the same with
other commodities. In the handling of
less than carload freight for the month
of July, this year, seventy-seven of the
leading railroads increased their load
per car nearly 90 per cent over July of
last year, thereby saving the use of
ia, 100 ears.
These are real accomplishments. but
the opportunity for others to do like
wise still exists During the entire pc
Rod of the war food, munitions, and
material must be kept moving steadily
to the seaboards Lumber must be kept
moving to the shipyards. Men must
be kept moving to the cantonments,
aviation fields and other training
camps, and all of these movements, in
SO far as possible, must be made with
out serious interference with the com
mercial traffic of the country.
To do this the railroads must in
crease their own efficiency. They can
not rely altogether on the things which
the shippers may do. AS Chairman of
the Railroads War Board | feel that
| can state that this increase in eff
cheney will be accomplished, as to date
there has been no disposition on the
part Of any member of the railroad
army, from track man to general man
ager, to do anything but give his best
to the work that is SO essential to our
winning the war.
'Consignees can also help by pur-
chasing IN the nearest market, by being
prepared to store the whole contents of
the cars they order, by punching their
orders so as to make full carload lots
and by unloading ears promptly
The cooperation that we ask from
the general public is harder to explain
| What we need above all is thorough
understanding of the magnitude OF the
| transportation problem and the neces-
| slty for public cooperation on the 90
! luton of it. We want the public to
understand that passenger trains have
!
/ to save equipment, man power, and
track space that is absolutely needed to
handle the tremendous increase in
freight transportation that the war has
produced. We want the public to un.
derstand, too, that every effort that
the individual family makes in any
form of conservation will help in tn,
solution OF the transportation problem
rs well as the other economic war prob
lens of the United States
BY using food and fuel economical
", by retraining from the use of thing.
that are unnecessary for a healthy ex
lstenee, by foregoing Injuries which de
mand rail transportation, and bv sup
porting the movement against the us
Of freight cars for hauling non essen
tlals, the people as a whole will lesser
the burden of the railroads and there
ny make it possible for them to rende
: more and better transportation scrv
lee for the troops, munitions Of war
food, fuel and all other commoditic
that must be properly distributed boil
; IN our own country and the countrie
of our allies, if we are to carry thi
war TO successful conclusion. =