Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-20
COAL CARS MUST
BE SENT BACK
SOON AS EMPTIED
Commerce Commission Pre-
scribes Drastic Regulations to
Lower High Prices

Washington, Jan. 20. - Drastic reg
ulations designed to relieve the short
age in coal cars and help bring about
a lowering of present high prices OF
coal were prescribed to-day by the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
The regulations require return TO
original owners of all coal cars as fast
as unloaded and give the railroads ten
days to devise methods of relieving
the shortage in other types of cars.
The commissions order also re-
quires the railroads to apply the same
regulations to refrigerator. heater,
ventilated and insulated cars.
The new orders become effective
February 21. The committee which
the railroads are called on to appoint
should be vested, the order states,
with plenary powers and should CO.
operate with the commission in seek
ing relief for the shortage of other
types of cars. Unless such a commit
tee is appointed within ten days the
commission declares it will act inde-
pendently and consider the issuance of
such orders as 1t deems necessary to
relieve the situation.
In issuing to-day's order the COM
mission was divided, Commissioners
Clark, Clements and Hall dissenting
from the majority view.
The new regulations continue in ef-
feet till May 1.
Issuance of the order is a culmin-
alton of the investigation which the
commission has been conducting for
several months, the last hearing haV-
ing been held here December 2S.
The hearing was attended by the
representatives of a large number of
roads and shippers and by Department
of Justice officials investigating the
high cost of living who had been in
frequent consultation with officials of
the commission.
THE present condition of car dis
tribution throughout the United States
have no parallel in our history" said
the commissions decision. mills
have shut down, prices have advanced,
perishable articles of great value have
been destroyed and hundreds of car
loads of food products have been de-
layed in. reaching their natural mar
kets. In some territories there have
been so many cars on the lines of the
carriers and in their terminals that
transportation service has been thrown
into unprecedented confusion, long
delays have been the rule rather than
the exception and operation of estab-
lished industrial activities has been
made uncertain and difficult. These
conditions have made necessary a far
reaching investigation by the COM
mission and now urgently demand
prompt decisive action.
I'm spite of the efforts which had
been made to put a stop to the diver
sion and misuse of cars commission's
inspectors day after day reported
numerous instances of such diversion
and misuse.
Urgent as is the need for relief the
respondents (the railroads) with but
few exceptions. have failed to afford
such relief. They have assured the
commission that they would not put
q stop to the diversion and misuse of
coal and refrigerator cars and would
return those cars to their owners
without delay, but since that assur-
ance was given hundreds of instances
of diversion and misuse have been
called to our attention.
1T is clear that the entry Of a
formal order is necessary to protect
shippers. consignees and the general
public"