The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-07
McAdOO Raises Demurrage
to Prevent the Holding
of Freight Trains
MANY PASSENGER
TRAINS WITHDRAWN
and utfalo-Lack of Labor Prevents
Turning Engines Back Promptly into
Service.

Turning Engines Back Promptly into
Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. To promote
more prompt unloading OF freight ears,
Director General NlcAdoo yesterday G.
tabli-hcd new railroad daWurragc rules !
tor domestic traffic, effective Jan. y, con |
tinuing the present two days free time. |!
bat providing for increases ranging from !
30 ia 100 per cent in charges thereafter.
The director general appealed to ship
pers and conoienecs TO cooperate in re
leasing car, 10 meet the national emer
9ency, and to make special efforts even
before the higher demurraec charges 90
| into effect To clear terminals is il con
| tribution To the success al the war The
! necessity Tor action. was emphasized by
report from y. II. Smith. assistant direc
tor general. that accumulation i in
creasing At points east OF Pit'~hng aud
/ buffalo. MIR. Smith reported that the
situation was due largely to cold Wet her
but that sickness among tr.inmen and
engineers and scarcity OF labor have ne
Ieeesitated extensive curtailmenl 81 train
service
| The new dcmmra2r rates. approved hy
the interstate commerce commission on
,request Of the director general are s. per
ear for the first day after the TWO free
tday,; - Tor the second day. and 81 adtii
iuonal for each succeeding day until the
Ichar9e per day reaches SO This mani
mum then will be charged Tor every day
Tor fraction thereafter Exi~tin. defntlr-
iragcS rates in most sect ions Of h. conn
!trv are 81 for HE first dav after The two
day~ free time, - for the second day =
for the third day. - for the fourth day
land for each day thereafter. Even these
Irates are several times higher than hose
which prevailed a year ago. and which
were raised last spring when congestion
on eastern railroad- became acute Much
higher rate, are charged OH the Pacific
coast and IT. several other districts
No changes viii he made Tor the pres
ent in demurra@c nlcs or rates on export
freight. The new regulations said Mr..
AlcAdoo'S order. specifically contemplate
Ethe cancellation OF All aNert@e agreement
provisions al existing tariffs" Railroads
, are Instructed to file tariffs embodving
the new rates with the interstate com
merce commission and state commissions.
An imperative necessity exists 10y re-
. leasing freight ears for further service
and for relieving terminals which are now
badly eongested." said Mr. NcAdoo
. I"Thesc nnfayorabc conditions are inu-
rionely affecting in = vital way he GOV
enment', conduct OF the war it aid Ia
the allies, and the Supplying OF fuel. food
land necc7-arie- To Our own people.
| "on these accounts ! have teit com
lpelied Ia issue an order which viii take
, lcIfect throughout he United States OF
the DIST day OF January. 1918. providing
Tor heavy increase i'll demurraee charges
Iunle~s cars are loaded and unoadra Will
u lprompJne~-. In making his order ! hay,
i fully considered the emhara~ -nent~ oi
shippers and con@ieRep~ on account OF h,
tecarcity OF labor the inevitable weather
the irrcgularity OF transportation ant
: the consequent frequent punching of ears
Nevertheless. am convinced that til,
: total Inconvenience and hardship OH tle4t
accounts Will be far smaller than the iii
II convenience and hardsnips which our PEG
e pie as whole are suffering on account o
:, the undue tying mp Of railroad equipmen
i iand will be very small! indeed compare,
Ct with the menace which The Widespread,
a tying up oi equipment causes In III
:, health and comfort of the people and Ia
! successful conduct OF cur war operation,
g, 4 therefore appeal to every citizen /
! accept III spirit of hearty 90 operatin
u, the increased charges which will he i'm
4 posed, and especially appeal 10 ever
Il shipper or con~lgnec, a~ patriotic int J
o TO employ every possible effort and expo
lc dicnt (clrn though il involves unusua
= ami special arrangement and additions
cost TO load and unload freight car
lc with The least possible delay in ords
To that tn" existing congestion may l
&C. cleared up before The new dcmmra%r mi
Is goes into effect"
rt In approving the filing OF new dcmu
ad rage tariffs the interstate commerce con
in mission took action for The first time q
/ request OF the director general for high,
rates.
~ About one fifth Of the through pae-ci
~ ger trains on eastern railroads We
), withdrawn from service and within
~ week or two many other passenger sche,
:, uea will be curtailed Disarrangement
passenger schedules in the past week A
- ,i4tant Director General Smith rep0rte
-, was promoted largely by the number
!" persons returning home from holda
III visits
He added "A shortage Of labor al e.
ne CINE house terminals is preventing g
% oines from being turned promptly al
Ne getting back into service.
~ NEW YORK. Jan. Severe wealth
- OF the last 10 days has greatly ncreas
the difficulties al operation on The lin
-, OF the New York New Haven & Han
H. ford railroad. said 4 statement issn
M here last night by Edward j Pearst