Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-03
Should Civilian Labor Fail to
Unload Coal in Big Cities
Soldiers May Be Assigned
to Work,
EMPLOYEES WILL BE
KEPT ON PAYR0LLS
Divisional SuperintendentS Of
Transportation May Be Sc
eIcted to Assist Director
General,

tAT MOANING JcURNsL SPECIAL LGAstp wrEsl
Washington, Jan. Solid coal
trains were ordered moved eastward
ahead of all other freight tonight
after conferences between the di-
rector general of railroads and the
fuel administrator on further plans
for speeding coal to New England and
other sections short of coal in the
midst of a blizzard.
The organization of a great army
Of laporers loaned by cities and corpo-
rations to unload coal and other
freight at congested terminals is un-
der consideration and some thought
even was given to the possibility OF
having soldiers assigned to these tasks
il the civilian organization proves im-
practicable.
Transfer of locomotives from the
west and south, where congestion is
not so serious and weather less in
clement, was planned by Director
General McAdoo and his staff. With
the equipment will come a number of
employees from those districts to as
sist the overburdened east. Reports
Of frozen boilers in locomotives and
trains stalled in snow, lead to special
authorization of a plan augmentlng
the available motive power on trunk
lines east of the Mississippi and north
of the Ohio river. An immediate en-
hargo on movement of a number Of
non essential products also was dis
cussed.
Freight Actually Moving.
Despite the weather freight is ac-
tually moving faster than before the
government assumed management,
according to reports from Interstate
Commerce Commission inspectors.
switch yards are being cleared with
out regard to old priority orders. At
least ten trains carrying in all 500
cars of coal reached New Jersey ter
minals today and many were either
routed through the Pennsylvania pas
senger tunnel or ferred to the East
river for transfer to Brooklyn or de-
spatch to New England.
Nine ships were pledged by the
shipping board to carry coal from
Hampton Roads TO New England.
Director General McAdoo tomorrow
government operation with heads of
the four railway brotherhoods, who
were invited to confer with him. They
| will be told of the pressing necessity
not only for retaining all present
workmen, but for drawing new en-
ployes into the service, and for sus-
| tanning high order of efficiency un-
| der the governments operation plan.
Wage Question Later
Wages probably will not be discuss
ed at the conference except in a gen.
eral way, but the brotherhood heads
may be told that the entire problem
| of readiusting wages will be taken uI
! by the railroad administration as soon
as the more immediate operating and
| traffic questions are disposed of.
Officials are anxious that railroad
employees shall not get the impression
that any wholesale curtailment OF
jobs or salaries is in prospect. AL
though a number of agencies which
are not considered essential now thai
competitive conditions have beer
abolished, may be eliminated even
tually it is considered probable tha
the employees will be transferred tt
other branches of the service. This
re-arrangement applies particularly
to traffic solicitors, publicity bureaus
and legal advisers.
Divisional Superintcndents Likely.
Mr.. McAdoo is considering the nam
ing of divisional supervisor of rail
way management with functions sim
liar to those of A. II. Smith, assigned
to direct transportation on eastern
lines as Mr.. McAdoos assistant.
probably will be a week or ten day
before specific consideration is givei
the selection of other regional assist
ants, however since the east is th
district where transportation ills mus
be cured first.
Construction of barges for the Mis-
sssippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers AM
the Erie canal also will be discusse,
soon.
Drafting of legislation to max
government operation fully effectiv
was nearing completion today and will
be finished before President Wilson
delivers his address to congress Fri
day.
Tangled Over Accounting.
; One of the principal disagreement
over the recommendation for thi
legislation has arisen on the method o
determining what accounting element
shall enter into fixing of the compen
sation basis Some railroad interest
; are expected to urge congress to in
clude rental from cars and locomo
tives leased to other lines during tn
!, pre-war period, and other rent!
while a number of Mr.. McAdoos lie
gal advisers advocate basing compen
sation on strict operation income
which for most roads would mean les
money.
The senate interstate commerc
committee today suspended until mex
Monday its inquiry into railroad con
ditions when it learned all the rail
road presidents had gone home
work and that none was available t
! fasfify