The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-05
MUST MOVE FREIGHT.
DIRECTOR GENERAL PROPOSES
TO CLEAR CONGESTION.
Coal and Food First-I.incs of Wost
and South May Help Lift Burden of
East.

to Eastern railroads today from Di- !
rector General McAdoo to clear m /
freisht congestion, regardless of pre-
vious government priority regulations
passenger schedules and any hamper
ing practices under the old competi-
tive system and to pay special atten-
ton to movement of coal and food.
Lines Of the West and South were
notified that soon they might be called
on to furnish locomotives and other
equipment to help tighten the traffic
burden in the East and a committee
of government officials was created
to work out a plan for diverting ex-
port freight to ports south of New
York
Quantities of coal actually were
started moving to New England to
relieve the serious shortage there and
priority orders were suspended 70,
roads east of the Mississippi and
north of the Ohio Rivers TO the eX-
tent necessary to clear up congestion.
AT the same time the director gem
eral dissolved the railroads war board
at its own request and named a tenn
porary advisory cabinet of five mem
bers. One Of these, Hale Holden,
president OF the burlington and q
member Of the war board, will be re-
tanned to supervise the machinery
which the war board has created
within the last nine months to CO.
ordinate the roads of the country.
Other members of the new advis-
ory cabinet are John Shelton Will
liams. comptroller of the currency,
who will have charge of financial
questions arising out of government
operations; Henry Walters, chairman
OF the board of the Atlantic Coast
Line. who will assist on operation
problems; Edward Chambers. traffic
director of the food administration,
who will have general charge of traf-
fic, and Walker d. Hines, assistant to
the general director.
Other railway heads who made up
the war board, Fairfax Harrison of
the Southern, who was chairman. Rea
of the Pennsylvania, Kruttschnitt Of
the Southern Pacific and Elliott of
the New Haven, will return to the
active supervision of their roads but
all the subcommittee and organiza-
tion of the board will be turned over
to Mr.. Holden.
The question of increased pay for
railroad employees VIII be taken up
soon by Mr.. McAdoo but he said to-
day he had given little thought to
wages and did not know what his at
titude would be. Heads of the four
brotherhoods will confer with the di-
rector general Thursday at his invi-
tation and probably will urge that
with the scarcity of railroad labor It
will be necessary to pay higher wages
TO retain men. Many advisers Of the
director general advocate increasing
wages, particularly for many unor-
ganiZed classes.
The federal board Of mediation and
cancellation will continue to pass on
wage disputes now pending, it was
announced after conference Of the
board with Mr.. McAdoo but eventual
ly the director probably will handle
wage questions directly. The govern
ment's attitude toward wage changes
will not be determined for several
weeks at least, or until the pressing
problem of speeding up transporta-
ton are threshed out.
| Mr.. McAdoo limited his comments
on the labor situation today to say
ing that he would treat the men
with justice and equity" and would
give "a just and square hearing" to
the brotherhood heads.
The director general conferred dur
ing the day with Secretaries Baker
and Daniels. Chairman Hurley of the
shipping board, Food administrators
Hoover, Fuel Administrator Garfield
and other government officials.
Acting under the director generals
| specific authority, A. III. Smith. presi-
dent Of the New York Central and as
sistant director, who has charge of
the task Of clearing congestion in tho
East, tonight ordered Eastern lines to
start n systematic campaign to move
freight and 10 report daily to him the
congested conditions so that other
for the overflow
$50 far as practicable annul pas
scngcr trains which interfere with Civ