Evening star., 1918-01-13
RAILWAY FREIGHT
. DELAYED IN YARDS
-
Interstate Commerce Com
missioner McChord Reports
on Congested Conditions.
WASHINGTON COAL HALTED

Cars bound for Washington and other
southern points held up by congestion
in Yards; coal cars for Washington de-
iayed by lack of engines to convey
them, and a continued shortage of
switching engines in yards. which holds
up Washington bound traffic at Phila-
delphia and other points. are features
of yesterdays statement on conges-
tion of traffic issued by Commissioner
McChord Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
In the east side yard of the B. & O.
road at Philadelphia, on January 8. the
report states, 454 moved west with 24a
loads for the west still on hand. and
these included eight cars of hard coal
for Baltimore twenty-eight for Wash
ington and seven for Potomac Yard.
The Potomac Yard bound cars are list
ed separately because some OF them go
farther south. The report continues:
rSeventy-one cars of coal for New
York were held on account of Phlia-
delphia and Reading not being aole
to handle: eleven locomotives held Tor
repairs; fifty-five engine house ana
shop employees off duty during twenty
four-hour period ending am, Janu-
ary s.
Bad Situation in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is now one of the worst
points of congestion in the east. 1t was
explained. because the tracks between
there and New York form the neck of
bottle toward which traffic from the west
and south pours in too fast to be con-
<eyed over the available trackage
The report from the Philadelphia yards
Of the Pennsylvania railroad states:
philadelphia division. from 1901 a. m.
70 1859 p. m, January 4: Movement,
$50 cars inbound and 1903 outbound;
10 trains ready to move. with no power
Available. Still on hand. 1,6s3 cars"
From the Pennsylvania's yards in Phila-
&elphia an inspector reported, under date
Of January 10: "Oficials advise that 1t
Is impossible to move cars south, on the
eongested condition of Thurlow and
Edge Moor yards
Priority Orders Ignored.
: The railroads policy of eliminating
priority orders was reaf1irmed yester-
day, when officials refused the request
Of steel and oil interests for special pref
erential movements. Until the congeS-
tion is cleared. no shipments may have
Z clear priority right, officials explain
I'd.
Complaints of West Virginia coal ope-
fators that they were receiving insult
fcient cars were referred to Assistant
Director Smith, together with reports
from Interstate Commerce Commission
inspectors that hundreds or empty coal
ears were held up in freight congestion
near Philadelphia and at other eastern
points.
: Assurance that all railroad employees
would be considered in any future re-
adjustment of wages was given yester-
day by railroad officials to F. Finnison,
vice president of the union of mainte-
nance of way employees. He presented
no wage demands.
shipments Over Shortest Routes.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
cleared the way for railroads to haul
Freight over the shortest routes and
establish new receiving or delivery
toints. by reducing from thirty days
TO one day the period of notice to be
given before changing tariffs. Roads
elso were authorized to haul freight
Shipments WERE accepted, without OBJ
serving the usual long-and- -short-haul
provisions of the interstate commerce
Act. The commission reserved the
fight. however, to order revision of
fates at any time
: Additional tabuIations of railroad
earnings in November, made yesterday
by the commission, based on returns
from 153 roads. showed net revenue
from railway operations was $S7.057,-
600. as compared with $104,S97, 900 in
November. 1916. Reports are expected
from thirty-two additional roads