Arizona republican., 1917-11-16
MANY COMMODITIES MAY BE DENIED
 TRANSFORMATION
Republican A. p. Leased WIrel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-Denial of rail transportation to more than 5OC commodities classed as non-essential was recommended to the government today by the railroad war board Al the same time the board put out a statement declaring the country's rail- roads at the present rate on increase in traffic will be unable to meet de- mands that will be made on them this winter.
 The commodities included in the rec ommendation were not made public.
 The course of developments" said the statement, written by Fairfax liar risOn, chairman of the board, lis fore ing those responsible for the railways operation to anticipate that probability they will become unable to provide transportation for all the classes of commodities which they have been moving. The time may almost be here when it will be necessary to distinguish Tn railway transportation between things that are essential and those that are not
 The list of commodities classed as non-essential was made up by com mittee of railroad traffic officers at the request of Robert s. Lovett, the government director of priority of transportation. A copy was turned over also to Fuel Administrator Garfield who is contemplating the curtailment of coal supplies to industries not nec- essary to the public welfare. The list contains 450 commodities whose trans portation, it is declared, could be disE pensed with without any great incon- venience to the public and 75 which it is held the public could dispense with but not without inconveniece.
 The inability of the railroads to move the traffic is due the statement points out, to a tremendous increase in the volume of freight and passenger busi- ness.
 statistics show said the statement ''that in the months of April, August inclusive-ths first five months of the war. our railroads handled 16 per cent more freight traffic than in the same months of 1916. The traffic handled in these five months was 50 per cent greater than moved in the same months of 1915 and exceeded the total traffic moved in any year prior to 1904.
 Perhaps the most remarkable fig ures are those regarding the movement of coal. In the six months from May 70 October there were moved 150, 900 more carloads of anthracite than in the same months of 1916, an increase of Is per cent and 751, 900 more cars of bitu- minous and Ignite. also an IS per cent increase. A total of 116,000 carloads of freight had to be moved to the na- tional army and national guard camps.
 The railroads are moving a freight traffic surpassing any ever before known and are doing it with almost no greater facilities than they had t~o ye~-,s ago and under conditions which materially prevent them from increas- ing their facilities.
 The railways this year have had to handle the largest passenger business ever known. In addition they trans- ported between August first and No vember twelfth, 100000 troops, in- volving the use of 2;750 special trains
 If the non-essential commodities are eliminated, says the statement, the railroads without doubt can move all commodities required by the govern ment for war purposes and by the people for subsistence.