South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-14
SAYS PRESS HAS
HELPED RAILWAYS
President of c. and N. w. Ad-
dresses Convention of ASSO-
Ciated Business Papers.

CHICAGO. oct. lat is a great
satisfaction 20 me 20 be able O. say
that the press OF the country has
been within recent months helping
the railroads most generously and
effectively"
This statement was made az the
convention here Of associated bust
ness papers by r. II Ashton, pres
ident OF the Chicago & northwestern
railway and chairman OF the central
department Of the railroads war
board.
The only possible solution OF the
problem with which the railways
were confronted when this country
entered the war" continued Mr..
Ashton. was 70 increase the amount
OF service they could 80 out Of ev-
cry mile OF track. every engine and
every car.
I'm order 10 get more service out
or each car they had 20 secure the
cooperation OF shippers in loading
and unloading cars more promptly
and in loading them more heavily.
To save men and fuel for freight
in passenger service which. up 10 the
present time. amount 10 25,000,0O
passenger train miles a year.
I'm order 10 secure the good will
and cooperation OF the public IN do
ing these things the railroads had
10 get before the public the reasons
why they had TO be done. To get
this information to the public the
railways recently have sent TO the
press a large amount of material
showing the problem with which
they were confronted and the means
they were using and must use to
solve il. The railways and the ma
ton owe a debt Of gratitude 20 the
press for the generous way in which
70 has told and commended what
the railways have accomplished.
still More To DO.
There remains, however, a great
deal more which the press can do to
help the railways in their effort 10
help the nation 20 win the var. If
the demands now being mao upon
the railways by military and COM
mercial traffic should continue as
crease for some time as il now
seems probable that they will the
task OF the railways is going to
grow more and more difficult.
The railways are working every
locomotive and car and track 20 the
utmost now Shortage OF labor and
material make IL extremely difficult
70 maintain adequately our present
equipment. while IL is practically
impossible 20 get new equipment. II
is almost impossible 70 get rails and
other track material TO replace those
being. worn out.
You viii readily see what all
these things mean. They mean that
il the war goes on il is going 70 be
come more and more difficult for the
railways TO meet satisfactorily the
demands on them. II this is the
case the railways will need the help
II the press more and more. They
viii need x In presenting the facts
about railway conditions 20 the pub
lie. in urging the public To cooper
ate with the railroads in all the ways
that IL can and also in urging the
public 20 be tolerant regarding any
delays and inconvenience TO which
70 may be subjected.
II do not suggest that you gentle
men of the business press should do
thss for the benefit of the railways
for 1 know you are not specially
concerned with the welfare of the
railways. But you are specially con-
cerned regarding the welfare Of the
great industries with which you are
identified. and YOU are more vitality
concerned for the welfare of your
country.
zone OF the most effective ways in
which YOU can serve those industries
and your country in this great emer-
gency is by using your powerful in
nuence 20 get the business interests
TO cooperate with the arrangements
Of the railways in every way they
can so as 20 enable the railways 10
handle the unprecedented traffic
which Is now moving and which. so
far as we can see ahead. will con
tinue 70 move for months TO come"