New-York tribune., 1918-01-22
ABlunders and
Snow Tighten
Freight Tiie-Up
Lack of Foresight Here and
Storm in West Block
Congestion Relief
400 Workers Held U0
BY War Zone Decree
Railroads Also Bank Upon
Personal Deliveries, For.
getting About Work.
less Monday

SNOW. frost and blunders yesterd.,
blocked the best e9orts Of railroad -.
ficials and emp,oycs 70 rer;a~" ' o.
freight congestion in the Eastora '"s
tric:
At the end of tho first day of poD...
business shutdown 10 give ,bo 49,.
roads chance to catch 10 with sha =.
tons busincas--a day % desoera.. +oa
railway officials were unable n >.
port much Roadway in clearing .r.
accumulated traffic. From various sa.
tions Of the Eastern distr;ct-eos. :.
Chicago and moth of the Ohio ana
Potomac rivers, commanded BY A.
sistant Director Gcnceal Of RAILWAY.
A. II. Smith-cane reports Of snov.
storms and heavy frost, tyin. =,
freight Increment. blockadiag ternjna,,
and making it practically impossible "a
clear away cars tAat had piled uu oa
sidetracks and ii railroad yards da,.
ing the pesiod of congestion which
dates back t1o or three months.
To MAKE matters worse, b.ua6e,s
oharactriaed b. railroad men as .p,.
speakable" and "id.otic," caused u,t.J
delay and damage l. the handing .,
general freight at Jersey terminals
The railroad men charged h,gh govern.
ment officials with lack Of Foresight
pointing out that they had JAILED :,
make ther systcm OF freight clearing
fool and blunder proof
400 Workers Held u
As the result of thunder No. nes-ls
four hundred loncshoeemen, irsiga.
handlers aad doch laboeers v,c-c j.,
layed for several hours yesterday mora
ing in starting work. Some ere Asi
forgotten That cu..e recently seds-ai
order was issued barring everybosy
from the piers uniesa ae aad spce,,al
pass with his photograph thereon. .hr
men were challenged az the var rors
by policemen and stopped when .hev
could not furnish the passes. The work
ers sat and twi!led their thumbs
while railroad lNen end labor union OF.
cials unravciei a lot Of red tape pr
liminary to having the men admi,tedto to
the war zone,
Bunder No. > was described as
even more serious =. s,a..soad raea.
AS res,,.:, unloading Of gene;ri
freight cars at >e-say terminals psac-
t;caiiy carae 20 = s-op r. noon yester-
day All the railroad companies ser-
ing New York Ci.y had assembled heir
labor forces to dGrap IS nach freish.
as possible ut The te..niaals. They
had take. It FOR granted that whole
sale merchants, warehousemen and
other consigaees voniG he on hand
with trucks and men 10 Gear .he piers.
But New York business men were acs
taking sny chances Yesterday on s.o.
lating the ste~.. orders Of Na.ioasi
Fuel Administrator Garfield relating
to the closing dowo of industries.
The official records from The oH:'
Of Mr. Smith showed tnat the 200 .ai-
road companies under mis- jurisdiction
did not get far yesterday n catch
These 200 railroads rcp7rss4 nat
C4,40l loaGoC. oastbouad cara vera
sioetrackod, Stalled o set out" yes.
terday. showing reduction OF 500
from the iigure4 OF SUNDAY. Ther'
were G,o57 eastbcund osupties tied up
showing al increase o. 5-9 over the
dav before.
Westbound freight sa@ed bette;
There were 1902 lc.ased .essbOuad
freight cars stalled along he Eastern
roads yesterday. 1000 c-s than OF
Sunday. TIE number o. stalled west
bound cmpties was 29,G9S, S54 cars
less than on Sunday.