The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-26
Operating Committee Meets
Today to Arrange Unit Ope.
ration Of All Eastern Lines
CHRISTMAS TRADE MAY
ESCAPE AN EMBARGO
War Industries Board Believes
Question of What Is Essen
tial Will Adjust Itself rs
War Progresses

Washington, Nov. 25.--Two of the
nnost Important suggestions that VIII
ne made tomorrow bS the committee
which will operate Eastern railroads
as a unit are
/. A practical embargo on the
transportation of Injuries.
J. A request 70 the public to re-
duce pleasure travel
The operating committee composed
OF operating vice-presidents of the
Eastern, lines, will meet here tomor-
'row morning at the Office of the rail-
roads war board. Many OF the ex-
ecutires are arriving in town tonight
and many schemes already are under
discussion for ttna maximum uIltza-
ton of facilities for war business.
Judge Lovett. OF the priority board,
the only government agency through
which direct and positive control can
be exercised over shipments. denied
tonight that he had decided on an en-
barge against automobiles, He said:
The report that | am contempla ting
an order shutting off cars from the
automobile industry Is without foun-
dalton in fact said Il week ago that
/ did not have in mind any transpor-
tAtiou order treating any industry as
non essential. Stree priority order No.
went rs Tar rs it seemed TO me wise
to go Az 3fNAtiNF WIN 6b~s th4tNR MN
essentials by transportation orders.
That statement still stands
II is believed that the aAn1inistrs~
Sc i.e-- !l!1aaS.ss
movement wntl the Christmas trade
ass been supplied This may take
another week or ten DAYS. IT Was
earned here fhst many retail dealers
~ Injuries arr AREA ay in financial
sttaits due - the eartRi1fae7t OF their
business bE tar vaF, and The admin
sstratiop does not Nlsh 70 precipttate
ans whoiesale crashes IN tt1e business
world Mt this slime. The ra ilroads will
insist nevertheless. that II they are
to move coal sugar, wheat and steel.
The four great ste pies now held up,
,hey must ne relieved OF some of the
burdens which they consider non
essential
The priority order Ne. ? referred
80 ~ Judge Isovett In his. statement
tonight, forbade the use of open top
sreigfit cars-~to shippers az pleasure
sftftofti.l Ele=S. m4sfcaI irastru aients and
certain building and furniture ma
terials
IL H. the position of the war indus
tries board that no hard aud fast list
~ essentials and ron-essentials should
lie made up The board believes that
tho none essentials will eliminate them
selves as the war progresses The
8oard has been deluged with letters
from manufacturers asking for such
+. ilrt but none has ever been Official
~ approved.
According 20 TIE purposes of the
pooling arrangements of the eastern
~ fIrnaa committee. priority Will ma
turally be given 10 those commodities
,,4,s. needed While there may he
some question of the legality OF the
steps 10 Ne taken. II Is believed that
congress can readily be persuaded to
make such amendments to the inter-
state commerce law as may be neces-
ssvv.
The reductNr In pleasure travel On
railways viii Re urged by the rail-
roads war board through campaign
OF advertising There is no desire
on the part OF the roads to diminish
necessary travel. But through un-
necessary travel huge demands are
made upon rolling stock, train crews
and trackage. Although the railroads
have cut their passenger equipment
aud stopped many of their trains, pas
seager travel 10 stu Increasing.
It was said today In official circles
that the operating commute. would
hardly recommend. ar- has been said
that some railroads should devote
lesye passenger work to parallel sys-
TENS. This change would not be
1udicious, 1t WAS asserted.
II has been already announced that
the railroads war board has recon-
rlcuded that more than 500 articles
lie enlarged In transportation. class
Ing them as mon essentials" The
fuel administration is also consider
iug embargoing the use of coal and
coke in the manufacture of these non
essentials.