The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-22
RAILROADS MOVE FREIGHT IN SPITE 0F b|G BLIZZARD Local Embargoes Have Been Put Into Effect at
 Certain Points FAR BELOW ZERO
 IN FROZEN NORTH Shortage of Labor Is Handicap Because Men Fail to Show
 Up During Frigid
 Weather

Washington. January 2f.-- Embargoes which have been put into effect against the acceptance of new freight by several railways were declared tonight by Di- rector General McAdoo to be entirely lo- cal in character and not indicative of any proposed general prohibition against shipment of goods other than fuel. food and war supplies.
 Local questions are entirely in the hands of the divisional representatives of the railroad administration" he said, and doubtless they took action because of temporary conditions at certain initial points. which do not exist generally"
 The Bethlehem Steel company protest ed vigorously during the day because of inability to move steel. Coal was given preference and their steel had to wait.
 Below zero temperatures, resulting in a shortage of labor and damage to equip ment. caused a serious setback this morning in the work of clearing freight congestion in the east, but with moder- ating weather in the afternoon a hope- full report was made by A. H. Smith, director of eastern roads. Accumulation Of freight held out for New York con- tinued to show reduction and improved harbor conditions facilitate the bunker ing of ships.
 We are concentrating on getting emp ties to the mines and movement of coal out" said MT. Smiths report, "aso move ment of foodstuffs east of Chicago which must be kept up."
 In anthracite coal producing regions improvement was expected only through higher temperatures.
 COMPETE WITH BLIZZARD
 At the beginning of the day the rail- road administra tion had to compete with blizzard conditions. The temperature was 31 degrees below zero in sections of Pennsylvania, 20 below in northern New York and 15 below in Ohio Many men failed to report at engine terminals because the weather interfered with train operation. Ice in the yards delayed switching, the labor available to pick 1t out not being sufficient for the tre- mendous job.
 Contested terminals, shortage of power and lack of efficient labor were recorded in special car supply report made to- day by Commissioner McChord. One item of cheer was the statement that at several yards the number of bad order'' cars was decreasing. A
 Inability to get loaded cars teAdestina- ton has tied up many cars loadAd with freight not in the preferential list. but which was started on it's way before the government took over the railroads. WAITING FOR POWER At the Conway yard of the Pennsyl- vania railroad. S4 trains were reported delayed from two to seven days, each. for lack of motive power
 At the Pitcairn yard of the Pennsyl- vania 57 trains were ready to go east and IS were ready to go west, but all were waiting for power. Some of them had been ready since January D. it was said. It was said that locomotives were delayed at the Pitcairn yard for material. supplies, lack of competent Ihelp and poor coaling facilities" " Only 64 per cent of the empties re- quested by mines in the vicinity of the Pennsylvania Scuily yards were sup piled and 74s eastbound cars already
 lContinued en Page TAree)