Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-03
EXPERTS BACK
SHIP BUILDERS
Transportation of Supplies
Makes Possible Quick
Work in Many Ways

Philadelphia, Dec 3. - Did you
ever ship anything?
If you have done so, you may
family realize that to look after the
shipping of thousands of things
easured by carloads and train
loads, articles of every description
and every size from a vest pocket
package to solid trains loaded to
capacity with steel, is not a nerve
resting occupation. Especially was
thls true when the success OF one
or our greatest war undertaking.
the building of ships-depended ups
on their prompt delivery.
The things referred to are ships
supplies.
There are handled by the Supply
DIVISION of the Emergency Fleet
Corporation directly under the su-
perVlsion of the transportation de-
partment OF this division. With the
signing of the armistice the strain
eased off materially, but the neces-
slty for the prompt delivery of sup
plies was not lessened. This trans
| portation department, of which +.
I. Joubert is manager, must not
! only keep track of all shipments but
must be thoroughly posted as to
every available channel or resource
for shipping.
It's knowledge of the situation
| must be more than is implied by the
word comprehensive, for it involves
minute detail. This includes not only
full knowledge of all railroads and
| their connections but the number
! of cars arriving, departing or await
| nj 4 linn .t IL, .n4 Il.
more shipyards on our two ocean
fronts, the Gulf Coast and the
! Great Lakes region. The depart
ment must be equally we'll informed
| as TO the movement of all trains
carrying the things consigned to its
care-when each leaves a station or
siding and when it arrives at desti-
nation. 1t must keep track of sin
| gle cars and single items carried in
! cars.
AS to the volume of it's business.
! the transportation department re-
! ceives daily from 300 to 500 shipp-
ing instructions. A single shipp-
ing instruction may cover many
articles or one article, but as a rule
1t means several. The list includes
lumber, steel, boilers, engines, tur-
bines, anchors and ships stores, in
word, ship machinery and equip
ment Of all descriptions and con-
sisting OF thousands of items
Divide Nation Into Is Zones
To systeI. etize and expediate
shipments the country has been di-
vided into fifteen great districts or
zones designated by letters, some of
them covering four or five states
and each in charge of a member
of the field staff. The heads of the
field organization are stationed in
the large cities constituting the i'm
portant gateways to the fifteen traf-
fic zones. Chicago being the most
important center.
The heads of the field staff and
their subordinates, the latter num-
bering from six to twenty men to q
district, work in closest cooperation
under the supervision of the home
office in Philadelphia. When demand
for equipment is sufficient urgent to
require eXpediting, the field repre-
sentative in whose district the ship
) ment originates notifies the repre-
sentative in the adjoining distric {
that the car or train has passed in
to his territory, and the latter COM
muniCates with the men in the next
district, and so on. clear across the
United States. BY this means the
, location of the car or train carry
'rg the equipmen can be asGer-
taired by tie home office at any
hour
The transportation department
also maintains a freight checking
organization. which sees to il that
The carriers do not charge more
, than they are entitled to charge for
the transportation of material on
which the United States Shipping
, Beard Emergency Fleet Corporation
: pays the freight. This has resulted
IN a saving to the Emergency Fleet
, Corporation OF about three thou
: sand dollars per month.
When the Importance of q ship
, mont warrants it. the transportation
men accompany il from start 10 des-
tination. A car of lumber was in
transit from the west coast to
Maine. A sudden need for pattern
lumber occurred and a hurry call
came for the contents of this par
} ticular car. An eXpeditor found the
: car ana rode it through to destina-
ton, taking advantage of every OPP
portunity to cut ahead of less inn
portant shipments.
The chief retarding factor in the
, work of the transportation depart
ment is the physical condition of the
railroad, which is such that it is
impossible for them to meet all de-
mands as promptly as the trans
, portation department would like to
: have them met, but the spirit of
railroad officials and men has been
one of hearty cooperation.
No better evidence of the friend
ly relations of the transportation
departmen and the railroads is re-
quired than to say that the differ
ences calling for adjustment by the
Railroad Administration at Wash
ington have been exceedingly few
and far between.