The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-30


 consume the full free time. while all in- eerests' including your own, are bene- 1lted by every hour saved, provided if he properly taken advantage of. A day to place a car, day to load it, a day to move II, day to order it placed for un- loaulng, day to place for unloading. pius two days for unloading, equals seven days for one lap. Gentlemen. can we stand for this? I say not Let every rail- road man. every shipper and every re- celver Of freight lend a helping hand towards speeding up, let us meet the de mand made upon us do our bit, and then some. We can do it.
 wish to say that the commission of car service feels that we must do some thing to insure prompt consignment of luei to common carriers, other public utilltles and steamship lines. Without thls fuel, the wheels will stop. and fuel for other various interests will not he needed. We are also expected to give preferential service in the matter of moving freight for the government NATIONAL DEFENSE
 The committee which has been recent. ly organized in this territory. and which 1 have the honor to represent as chair. man, IS known at Birmingham district subcommittee of the commission on car serVice It acts under the power of the commission on car service which in turn derives its power from the American Railway association, special committee on national defense, which in turn is act ing for the federal government under the council of national defense
 The Jurisdiction extends over what is known as the industrial and mineral dis trIet-Birmingham Avondale Wood lawn' Ensley, Bessemer, Woodward, Thomas Pratt City, Attalla, Ironaton, Alapama City, Gadsden. Florence, Shef- field, Anniston, Holt, Shelby.
 It is authorized and empowered to use iull power locally in the territory named In applying the instructions and require nents or the commission on car service and in furthering and advancing the ob- jects sought. which are:
 To reduce accumulations
 To administer embargoes.
 To regulate car supply.
 To promote intensive loading
 TO obtain comprehensive co-opera-
 ton.
 TO otherwise assist the commits
 sion on car service.
 We have been somewhat delayed ir organizing, but we are gradually getting under headway, and I presume you have all read in the papers of last Sunday ar outline of the organization, and I wish to make a personal appeal for the man. agement of every railway entering this district, to the railway officer and em- ploye of every grade, to the industry and manufacturer, officer and employe o1 every grade, to the individual shipper an6 receiver of freight and to the press for a helping hand in bringing about a co-op- eratlon that must of necessity result in greater efficiency greater volume of cars quicker handling at both ends and in the middle
 The best aid we can give the comnis. sion on car service in the general distri- bution of equipment will be In furnish ing accurate information, and this can not be done unless we determine the ac- tual shortages. If shippers loading out by two or more roads duplicate their order. We never know exactly what the short age is.
 Tn the first case there is a provision in the tariffs of the various railways in this city permitting or authorizing move. ments of L. c. L. freights in five-tor quantities to the car between the deliv. 1 erlng warehouses of the railways and the warehouses of the consignees, and il takes approximately one day to load this business, one day to move it and one day to unload it. A three-day car service Tor a five-ton movement and in the pres ent emergency it is thought that if this one question-is placed before those in- terested within the district that use this | FAA'AfoSSt "AiSii they nave q perI6ct right 10 do, they will of their own volition talk such joint action as may be necessary to forego that privilege until the condi. tons insofar as equipment available i'm. proves to the extent that 1t will be war ranted. The second case is that in which shipper at an outlying point needs equipment, and it is in a measure impos- sipie to supply, he makes a shipment rom this congested territory of n1angv calr or load of brickbats or something eise or this character to the point at which he wishes the car. The lading is practically thrown away at destination and he reloads the car. It Is true the rail road company receives a full rate for this shipment, but in the emergency confront ing us at this particular time they are not soliciting any such revenue. They wish their cars used for full tonnage and tonnage that will be of value ito the shin per, railroad, receiver and the country at large"