The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-09
DOING THEIR BEST.


profitable fields of investment, yet
during the past year practically not
one dollar was put into railroad in
vestments, altho over $500, 900. 900 was
put into new industrial enterprises.
Construction has been halted. In the
last two years, during which time the
public has constantly felt the need of
greater transportation facilities there
was less railroad construction than in
any similar period since the close of
the Civil War In 1915 the country
needed 100000 new freight cars, but
the railroads were able to build only
SO. 900.
E C. Simmons. founder of the Sim
mons Hardware Company of st. Louis,
estimates that the loss to business dur
ing the past year from freight embar-
goes and closed factories, due to the
shortage of cars and locomotives and
inadequate terminal facilities. amount
ed to hundreds of millions of dollars.
One of the most serious problems has
been congestion at terminal points.
which, because located at large cities,
will cost immense sums to be enlarged.
Nearly all of these things are due to
unfriendly legislation and the attempts
of forty-nine different commissions to
manage and direct the transportation
business of the country. Increased
earnings due to the war have enabled
the roads recently to make some nee
essary additions to rolling stock.
On April IL, the railroads of the
United States announced that during
the present war they would co-ordin-
ate their operations in a continental
railway system, merging all their
merely individual and competitive ac-
tivities in the effort to produce max
imum of national transportation eff
cheney. To that end they created
what has come to be known as the
Railroads War board. This board has
general authority to formulate in de-
tail and from time to time a policy of
operation of all or any of the railways.
Among the efforts to save fuel, man
( power ard motive power undertaken
/ by the war board is included the elm
ination of passenger trains. aggregat-
ing 16,2e7,02S miles of train service
per year.
The war board also brought about a
pooling arrangement both at tide
water ports and the lake ports that
+ has resulted in great saving of avail
able car capacity and the quicker
movement of cars.
Since November 1, 1916, $50 new
engines have been placed in service
and 44,06S cars. Orders have beer
given for 2,209 engines and 1O4,917
freight cars. These orders indicate
that the railroads are fully aware OF
the necessity of increasing their ca.
pacity for doing the business of the
country.
Reports made to TIE Railroads Wal
board for April from roads operating
81 per cent of all mileage showed tina
they produced more than 100000.
600 ton-miles of freight than they die
in April, 1915. The roads in the sam,
month showed an increase of Sc tons
OF 10.4 per cent per train anG "a tom
or 10 per cent per loading of cars
This is equivalent to the addition o
126, 900 cars to the equipment of tn
roads reporting.
The roads have carried on a cam
paign with the object of making ever
car do the work of two. Shippers ar
I being urged to load cars 10 per cen
in excess of marked capacity. TIL
roads are reducing the percentage o
cars and locomotives under repairs
, they are attempting to improve meth
DDS of firing locomotives, they are de
ferring the scrapping of light loco
motives, they are speeding up tn
handling of cars in transit and the
. are enlisting the aid of shippers 70
) the more prompt loading and unload
ing of cars.
II the roads be given a fair chanc,
the end of the war probably will Sc
a revival of railway building. The
, are by their patriotic course, earnin
T q kindly consideration on the part {
: the public.