The sun., 1918-01-07
M'ADOO RAISES
RATES TOSTcP
CAR HOLDUPS,
Demurragc On and After
January 81 Will Be More
Than Doubled.
$40 4 DAY IS MANlMCM
Freight Congestion Largely
Due to DetentiOn-''C1ear
Up Week" Planned.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.--As another
step in his programme TO ''get the wheels
turning" on the country's railroads
Director General McAdoo issued an
order to-day directly aimed at the car
detentioF evil. held By the railroads to
be at the bottom Of much Of the present
congestion.
This order, No. 3 OF the new railroad
regime. on and after January 81 will
more than double the present demurrage
rates on cars held by shippers and con-
s!gnees. While allowing still two FREQ
days on commodity cars. the new order
raises the present charge Of 81 on the
third day to 50. On. each day there
after the demurra9e charge Is progress
sively increased 81 until a miximum
charge Of $40 is reached on the eighth
day. Under present demurrage rules
established by the Interstate Commerce
Commission last spring the maximum Is
only IS. On cars. other than those
loaded with commodities only one day
free time is allowed.
Countless shippers and consignees
throughout the country will be affected
by this drastic change in present rules.
q
would have required formal hearings be-
fore the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion before going into effect. But Mr.
McAdoo's powers are now practically
absolute not only on questions affecting
the railroads themselves but on those
Affecting the public which makes use Of
them.
Railroads Complaint.
The evil in large measure has been
growing more acute for the, last two
years or more. The railroads for long
time have been complaining that con-
signees were making warehouses out Of
freight cars. Under the demurrage
charges in effect It was the cheapest
storage space they could get in many
cases. The result has been that thou
sands Of freight cars have been taken
out Of service for weeks and months.
With $40 day charge now facing
them Mr.. McAdoo and his railroad ad:
visers believe that that practice will
now cease to a large extent
AS further step to correct this evil
the new Director General Is planning a
! freight clear up week" Plans have
not been fully completed as vet. but a
drive is to he started all over the cour
try to get every freight car released and
put In service as a patriotic duty.
Mr.. McAdoo said to-day thar the new
order was an imperative necessity as AZ
aid TO win the war. and asked shippers
to view It in this light.
I'm making this ORDER" said Mr.. Me-
Adoo. 81 have fully considered the en-
tarrassments Of shippers and consignees
I on account Of the scarcity Of labor and
the inevitable weather. the irregularitv
/ OF transportation and the conseouen,
| frequent punching Of cars. Nevertheless
am convinced that the total incor
( venience and hardship on these ac-
counts will he far smaller than the in.
convenience and hardship which our peo-
pie as whole are suffering on accoun,
OF the undue tying up OF railroad equip.
ment. and will be very small indeed
compared with the menace which the
widespread tying up OF equipmen,
causes to tho health and comfort OF the
people and the successful conduct OF our
war operations.
Asks for Cooperation,
II therefore appca, TO every citizen tc
accept In spirit OF hearty cooperation
the increased charges which will be i'm.
posed and | especially appeal to ever,
shipper or consignec as patriotic duty
to employ every possible effort and OK.
podient teven though IL involves unusua
ana special arrangement and more add
tional cost) to load and unload freigh
cars with the least possible delay IL
order that the existing congestion ma,
be cleared UP before the new demurrag,
! rule goes into effect
4 report made public to-day by AS
sistant Director General Smith show
that the freight congestion due to tn,
cold weather has increased east OF Pitts
burg and Buffalo. The eevere wcather
conditions have incapacitated man,
trainmen and cnginemen. The labor sit
uation In the Pittshurg district, tn,
worst in the country, was reported a!
acute.
About one-flfth of the through passen
ger trains on Eastern railroads wer
withdrawn from service to-day with th'
Director Generals approval and within
week or two many other passenger
schedules will he curtailcd.