The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1918-07-22
CAR SHORTAGE
IS THREATENED
IN D { 7 D B { R

WASHINGTON, July 20.-In the
light of experience with transporta-
ton difficulties during the winter of
1918, chiefs of the United States
railway administration consider that
additional locomotives are more nee
essary now than additional freight
cars.
Discussing the decision recently an
nounced, to build 100000 cars for
American railroads during the present
year railroad administration officials
say the number was fixed only after
every locomotive that existing facili
ties could turn out during the next
year had been ordered
1T was not shortage of cars that
brought about congestion in the past"
it is said by the railroad administra-
ton. I'm fact. so many cars got
damned up in terminals that they
nearly blocked transportation them.
selves. The shortage was in motive
power. SO in considering the matter
this year, when the war industries
board fixed the amount of steel which
II would allot to railroad use, we as
signed to the engine shops every
pound that there was reasonable
chance of getting into a new loCOmo.I
tive this year Any engine builder
who can increase his capacity can
still get orders.
After that an estimate of the
amount of steel available was made.
and as many cars as can come out
OF it were ordered That happened
to be 100000 They are of compo- |
site steel and wood design, adopted |.
because it will get more cars out Of
the steel supply. Only the event itself
viii show, but we consider that the
construction ordered will be sufficient
to meet the strains. though all of our
calculations are based upon an in.
creased traffic burden for railroads
next year"
Samuel O. Dunn. editor of the Rail.
way Gazette of Chicago. using figures ,
compiled by Slason Thompson, head |
of the bureau of railway news and
statistics, has made a prediction that
the new demonstration will not OBJ
yiate a shortage when crop and coal
movements pile up on railroads after
October. He declares that 125,000 |
freight cars are worn out and junked |
normally each year by American roads
and that during recent years new con
struction has failed to keep pace with
wastage. There We're 4.072 fewer |
roads in 1917 than there were at the
beginning of 1911, he concludes,
placing the present total at approx
mat,ly 800, ooo This total, he as.
serts, is 100000 short of the number
required to handle the freight
THE original shortage which was
responsible mainly Tor the chaos of
last winter will have to be increased |
rather than decreased" he said in
statement upon the administrations .
car nuildiu. program. and at that ].
learned at recent conferences at
Washington that car have not thus
far been turned out as fast as they
might have been
ION March |, l"l6. for the first time
for two and a half years, the Amcri.
can Hallway Association reported a
net shortage Of cars This was due
mainly to weather conditions and to
an acute congestion at eastern ports.
1t disappeared and did not return for
five months On September /, 1916,
however. a new shortage was reported
again. and net shortages varying from
"a 600 to 10000 cars have been re
ror'cd every month since. This un-
broken continuance Of car shortage
for more than twenty months is with
out precedent in the history of Ameri'
can railroading. The car shortage IL
again on the ascendancy now, and Will
assuredly reach its peak early in DC
tober, when the crop movement to-
gether with the coal traffic, will fur
Their augment the demands upon the
railroads"