The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-12-13
TRANSPORTATION

An Interesting Paper Anent the Importance
Efficient Transportation to the Country
Paper Read Before the Chautauqua Circle By Mr. F.. L.

3 aEzNHN ENHsakas11Ns11NHHNE
quate supply of coal for all pur-
poses and of iron ore for the steel
mills. For that reason, as one of
its first acts, the railroads gave
preference to shipments of coal
and ore. The railroads can not
produce the transportation the
country must have without the
cooperation of shippers and con-
signees. Shippers can load cars to
their full capacity; they can load
and unload quickly; they can give
prompt advice when cars are ready
to be moved. They can do much
and they are cooperating to an in
creasing extent every day. They,
too. however, must take their
share of the war bread transpor-
tatiOn. They can help the roads
tremendously, as they are doing
to-day and it is expected that they
will continue to.
What the railroads are trying to
do might be better understood per-,
haps if the public generally appre-
ciated the factors that enter into a
"car-shortage" period. There is
no greater misnomer than, the
words car.shortage." When the
railroads report a shortage of one
hundred thousand cars it does not
mean that the railroads lack that
many cars of the number that
would be needed to haul the ton
mage offered, though that is often
a natural impression. At the very
time the 100000 shortage is re-
ported 1875, 900 loaded cars may be
held in accumulations of freight at
terminals; freight that for various
reasons consignees cannot accept.
If these cars had been unloaded
promptly and the cars placed in
service no shortage would exist.
One hundred thousand cars might
be added to the equipment of the
railroads, and in week the same
shortage would recur, unless cars
are unloaded.
When a Car shortage exists it is
usually the result of an unequal
distribution, geographically, of ex-
isting equipment, brought about
by economic conditions. Car
shortage figures do not reflect ac-
tual conditions. They show ten
dency only. Car shortage and car
surplus figures are based on orders
for cars for loading as filed with
the railroads by the shippers. In
time of surplus, orders for cars
obviously reflect actual conditions,
because with cars a-plenty there is
no incentive to initiate orders.
When shortage exists, how
ever, shipper increases his or
ders because he knows he will re-
ceive only certain percentage of
the cars ordered. In many cases
shippers order cars that double
and treble their actual needs.
In reporting shortages there is
much duplication because the same
shipper will file an identical order
with every railroad serving his
community. Thus, a shortage may
be reported by every one of the
roads covering the requirements of
that one shipper.
The railroads problem should
not be confused with car shortage.
While it is true that the roads
would give much for immediate
delivery of cars on order, they
would give more for largely in
creased terminal facilities to handle
the cars they have.
The plan of operation, worked
out in this country, is somewhat
like. yet largely unlike that adopt
ed by England, with respect to
her railways at the outset of the
war. In each country the deter
mination of policy and practice of
operation. of the national railway
system during the war has been
intrusted to small committee of
Continued ON page .. column IL