The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-15
NEW RAILWAY RECORDS
operation by Railroad War Board ..s.
tabhshes Record for Efficiency and
Economy.

) i'oard, authorizes the fOllOwing.
information gathered by the Ran.
ROADS war Board during the Grst four
months of it's existence, indicates
that the voluntary act of the i,i
railroads of this country in merging
Their competitive activities for the pe-
riod of the war and uniting in one
continental system, has not only made
the transportation problem presented
by the war less cumbersome to han.
die, but surer of satisfactory solution
In addition to welding into one low
nj army each and everv one of tb.
1,75O,OOO persons employed by rail
roads-frOm engine wipers to nres,-
dents-the coordination of the M.
tions' carriers has made possible the
most intensive use of every loco,no-
tive. every freight car, every mile of
track and every piece of railroad
equipment in the count. 1t has also
facilitated the securing Of invaluable
cooperation from the shippers and tho
general public.
Some concrete instance Of what has
been accomplished through this CO.
operation of the railroads, the shin
pers and the public since April 21st
when the War Board was created
may be summarized as follows:
The excess of untitled car requisi
tions over idle cars, or what is COM
monty called car shortage has been
reduced 70 per cent. On April 3Oth,
the so-called car shortage amounted
to 148,627. On June Goth these
figures had been cut to 77,144. On
| August 1st the excess Of untitled car
requisitions over idle cars amounted
to only 33,776.
In the month of May, freight trans
portation service rendered by about 7G
per cent Of Class l roads, earnings of
$1,OOO.00O or more). was 16.1 per
cent. in excess Of the service render
ed in 1916. In that year, which was
one Of unusual activity. the freight
service rendered by the carriers was
"a per cent. greater than in 1916. 81
the carriers have achieved the as
founding feat of adding to their
freight service, in the short space of
two years, an amount equal to the
freight traffic Of Great Britain, France.
Russia. Germany and Austria COM
| bined.
Approximately 2O,OOO.O0O miles OF
| train service a year have been saved
by the elimination of all passenger
| trains not essential to the most press
ing needs OF the country This re
| duction of passenger service has re-
leased hundreds of locomotives anC
train crews and cleared thousands OF
miles of track that are absolutely
needed in the freight service for tn,
transportation of necessities.
Freight congestion ut many import
ant shipping points has been averte6
by promptly moving empty cars from
one railroad to another. irrespective
or ownership. BY ordering the adop-
ton of this policy. which is brand
new to American railroad usage, the
Railroads War Board has moved 49,.
f2O empty freight cars into districts
where they have been most needed.
Through the pooling Of lake Goa;
and lake ore. saving Of $4,000 car
in moving those commodities alon,
has been achieved.
further saving of $4,000 cars
mas been made possible by the pool.
ing OF tidewater coal. Both Of these
pooling projects were brought aboui
by the Railroads War Board in co,
'aboratiOn with the Committee or
Coal Production of the Council OF
National Defense.
BY regulating the movement Of
grain for export. the number Of cars
ordinarily required for this service ha.
oeen reduced. despite an abnormal en-
port increase this year, 75,6S2,O2I
pushels of wheat. corn. barley and
oats being shipped to the Allies from
May lst to July 14th.
Ihls business was so handled thu
'here were no delays or no blocking O:
facilities at either the grain elevator.
or the seaports.
Although the figures on the inten.
SNe ioading of freight cars are moi
completed as yet. a sufficient numbe,
Oh reports have been received from tn,
- local committees of the War Boar
10 snow that commercial bodies and
individual shippers in all parts of tn,
country are giving hearty co-opcra