Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-01-29
WANTS EMBARGOEs
ON THREE ROADS
Garfield Would Clear Way for
Food and Coal.
REQUEST SENT TO M'ADoo
ruei administrator Tells Result of
Shutdown--Heavy Snow l4aIts
Traffic in East-HoIdays
for Iowa.

| washington, Jan. pa general en-
Dargo upon three railroads against
shipments of all freight except food
ana fuel and certain war munitions
anu supplies was requested by Fuel
Administrator Harry A. Garfield.
Inc request was contained in a
memorandum sent by him to Director
General of Railroads McAdoo. An
embargo was put on the Norfolk &
| Western.
Mr.. Garfield would have the embar-
go apply to the Pennsylvania lines
east of Pittsburgh, the Baltimore &
ONO and the Philadelphia & Reading.
Garfield's Memorandum.
In his memorandum Mr.. Garfield
said:
Ihe press reports show that the
pennsylvania railroad, with the ap-
prevail of A. HI. Smith, placed an en-
Dargo on Monday upon all freight ex-
cept food and fuel. 1t will be observed
that these exceptions are practically
the same as the exceptions made in
the order with respect to the use of
fuel.
The action authorized by this one
day embargo should be taken for sew
eral days, adding to the exceptions
certain war munitions and supplies
not only upon the Pennsylvania lines
east of Pittsburgh but also upon the
Baltimore & Ohio lines and the Phila-
delphia & Reading lines, which form,
with certain Baltimore & Ohio lines,
a through route to the seaboard. Such
an embargo would be especially effec-
tive if it could follow Immediately the
hve days covered by the January IL
order.
Car Shortage Was Acute.
During the last two months of 1917
the car shortage on the lines men
toned was increasingly acute.
1T neutralized every effort for in
creased production at the mines. La
Dor differences were adjusted and
prices resulting therefrOm were fixed. |
Without cars, however, coal could not
be produced. The empty cars were
not at the mines. The congestion of |
the tracks was such that the loaded |
cars did not reach their consignees.
while the railroads were operated |
separately, although in a cooperative !
plan, they seemed to have found it i'm |
possible to remedy this situation, and |
since director general of railroads !
has been appointed we have had moth
ing but unprecedentedly severe
weather, almost multiplying his efforts. !
Must Be "Entire Cessation"
ITO relieve present congestions and |
to speed up the movement of coal
and coke cars to and from the mines
and ovens, it seems apparent that
there must, for few days, be an al
most entire cessation, particularly on
the roads mentioned, of all freight,
with the exception above noted.
Mr.. Garfield cites figures showing
loss in coal production due to car
shortages. especially on the PennsyI-
vunia and Baltimore & Ohio railroads.
The fuel administration issued a
summary of the result of the five days
in which the factories of the eastern
half of the country have been shut
down.
Order Serves It's Purpose.
The summary follows: |
"Our reports show that the prime ,
purpose sought to be accomplished 6y I
the regulation-the bunkering of ships =
and the supplying of domestic consum- :
ers and pubic utilities with coal-has :
been greatly served.
Local officials of the fuel admins ,
tration in all parts of the East report G
ed that domestic consumers, public
utilities and other consumers on the
preferred list in the industrial curtail- j
ment order were being given the full
benefit of the coal moving into the 4
territory,
"As a result of the patriotic coop
GRAFTON of American industry, cap
tai and labor the way has beer cleared
for the prompt bunkering of ships a
which long were tied up at Atlantic I
ports waiting to carry vitality needed {
supplies to the American forces abroad n
md to the nations associated with the q
United States in the war"
The necessity for some new meth L
I'd of dealing with the coal transporta- Il
ion problem was emphasized by scores IL
If reports that weather conditions Il
we're as bad or worse than at any II
lime since the unprecedented period Il
If coal and stormy weather started
nearly two weeks ago. Heavy snow |
throughout New York and New Eng
and, in Pennsylvania, West Virginia {
md elsewhere made traffic movement
slow and cut the supply of
empty cars to coal mines far below
wen the subnormal supply of the last
ew days. g
Holidays in Iowa Cities. o
Des MOines, Ia, Jan. 23-Charles Is
Webster, fuel administrator for Iowa a
ssued a closing order affecting the p
ities of Keokuk, Fort Madison. Burl- p
ngton. Davenport Clinton and a
Dubuque. The order puts the Monday a
losing regulations. general in Illinois
nd The East, into effect in the cities
mentioned. in order to avoid discrimin-
tion against Illinois river towns. VI