Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-26

board. itself comprising ave OF the
country's railroad heads. The commit
tee OF vice presidents viii be given
full authority to adopt any measures
found necessary to accomplish uni
fled operation.
Tho Operating Program.
The operating program calls for the
following:
ployes and machine tools from vest
ern to eastern railroads.
Utilization Of repair shops on west
ern lines for repairing eastern equip
ment.
Pooling of all tracks and equipment
in the east wherever practicable.
Pro-rata distribution among eastern
roads of open top cars on basis OF
tonnage carrying capacity Of the equip
ment in the pool.
Diversion from congested lines of all
freight that can be handled BY any
open route.
To make more effective the pooling
arrangement, the war board recon-
mended that the government take tho
following steps Immediately:
Survey the present contracts and
methods Of purchase and shipment Of
coal that cross hauls may be eliminated
and that coal may move on the short
est route from producer to consumer.
Extend the pooling of coal produc-
ton and shipment.
Transfer as far as possible the
movement Of foodstuffs and other ex :
port commodities to southern ports
to relieve congestion in north Atlantic
ports.
Survey all government requirements
involving the movement Of raw ma
terials and manufactured products SO
terminals may be eliminated while
that acGumulations on roads and in
products are awaiting shipment or ex-
port
Require wherever possible the build
Ing OF war industrial plants in terri
tory other than the eastern seaboard
Approved by the Government.
The pooling plan was worked out by
the railroad heads some days ago and
formally approved by government Off
Gals at Saturdays conference. The
government representatives present
were Robert S. Lovett. director Of
priority Of transportation: Food Adj
ministrator Garfield, Food Admin
istrator Hoover. Chairman hurley Of
the shipping board, Edgar Clark Of the
interstate commerce commission and
others. The plan will be put into i'm
mediate effect.
The railroad situation has caused
considerable concern not only among
government heads but in railroad cir
Giles as well. Despite the fact that the
roads are moving more traffic than
they ever before carried it has been
seen that the breaking point was near.
With industries Idle for lack Of coal.
Industrial plants unable TO obtain raw
materials and domestic consumers UNI
able to obtain necessities. there Is a
disposition in government circles to
deny transportation to a large number
OF commodities classed as non essen
tials.
Would Abandon Passenger Traffic.
One Of the most interesting sugges-
tons comes from the Pennsylvania
railroad. This great company proposes
that It abandon It's thru fast passenger
traffic to the west and devote itself
almost entirely to handbag freight. The
Pennsylvania Is one of the big lines
operating in the east that has been
overwhelmed with business since the
United States entered the war and It
feels that 1t can not do Justice to the
demands Of the government unless 1t
practically abandons Its passenger
business, retaining. In fact, only local
trains on parts OF its line that are not
reached by other roads. To carry out
this proposal would mean that the
Pennsylvania would abandon It's fast
trains between New York and Chicago.
and probably abandon It's slow train
service also, leaving to competing rail-
roads the transportation Of all passen-
gers. Under this arrangement the
Pennsylvania would use It's main Lies
solely for carrying freight while the
war emergency exists.
The railroad executives arc anxious
also to have certain other railroads in
the country curtail or practically aban-
don alb except non competitive passen-
ger service. and devote themselves to
the exclusive carrying Of freight. One
suggestion Is that the Norfolk & West
ern railroad be designed for coal
carrying only, which means that except
on local branches where 1t has no COM
petition in passenger and freight traf-
flc. It would not carry any passengers
and would decline to carry any freight
except coal.