New-York tribune., 1918-01-17
Temporary Transfer of Me-
chanics From West Is
Proposed
Needed to Repair
Rolling Stock
Many Locomotives Tied
Up; Shutdown Of In
dustr;es to Aid

WASHINGTON. Jan. 16-To meet
Ao shortage Of machinists and other
skilled railroad workers in the East.
tho railroad administration to-day took
steps locking TO moving number o.
.bcse men from Western railroads for
few weeks. unit. the overburdencd
Eastern linc5 can make delayed re-
nairs to locomotives .nd freight cars
which now cannot be operated.
A. H. Smith. assistant to Director
General McAdoo. in charge Of trans
rortation in the East, was asked to re-
mort on the number Of mechanics
aeedcd by Eastern roads. while several
executives Of Western roads started a
,nrvev to ascertain how many men they
could spare.
Within few days the results Of
,hcse inquiries Will be presented to
Mr.. McAdoo Meanwhile. it was stated
.o.day. some Eastern roads already
nave asked the less hurdened Western
and Southern lines to furnish them
with machlnists and car repairers. II
was made plain that efforts will be
made to transfer only those men will
ing to make the change. so that no at
tempt will be made to coerce workmen.
Need of Repairs Ties Up Engines
The need Of additional labor at
nearly all railroad centres in the East
was emphasized to-day in reports Of
congcsted transportation conditions to
The director general from Interstate
Commerce Commissioner McChord Lo-
comotives badly needed to move freight
we're tied up for need of repairs.
Railroads plan to take advantage of
the shutdown of industries the next
Eve days by order or Fuel Admins.
traitor Garfield. to hire idle mechanics
and other workmen for railroad work.
This will be left to each local railway
executive
Railroad officials are expected to use
heir discretion during the next week
IN handling shipments destined to in
dustries which are shut down under
the fuel administration orders. in or
der to hasten delivery of coal and other
commodities to more needy interests.
Rising temperatures in most Of
the country and clearing weather led
railroad administration officials to-
night to hope that the traffic paralysis
OF the Middle West and extreme slug
gishness in the East would be relieved
materially within few days.
The director general to-day conferred
with presidents of the four rail-
way brotherhoods. who urged that the
provision Of the railroad bill author
ling the President 70 include railway
employees in the government disability
compensation system be made man
datory
Traffic League Offers Aid
A committee of the National indus.
1tlai Traffic League, headed by it's
pfes'aeht; G NJ. Freer of Cincinnati.
oi'eleo Mr. McAdoo the leagues ser
lons. '''''e QueS-
ana pubic utilities commissioners. The
director general to-day emphasized
.nao government control does not CON
'emplate notification of anv eyistinc
Ma.e laws nor abridge the functions nf
s'aye AZ authorities over roads.
me question of whether the gover,-
; aeho plans to operate the many short
nnluependent railroads not connected
SS..9ectly with the national system, was
Selore Ce the House Interstate Commerce
CCOmmlttee again to-day, and Interstate
s'pmmerce Commissioner Anderson ~
named that the Administration could
a9 determine for some time precisely
aePdcd ''''" oe
D. NJ Robinson. president of TIE
'nerican Short Line Railroad Assccia-
sv"' representing 1l6 roads. mainly in
ne South, told the committee he be-
e'ed the government ought to provide
speclai compensation for roads whose
Ous,ness is damaged by c-routeing Of
.rah'c a. t. Thorn, general counsel for
s"c railroad executives advisory corn
mhllee, speaking for the Western Asso-
.Ia''on Of Short Lines, protested that
m s"e proposed basis of government com
f.,i,