The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-13
Great Improvement in For
warding Freight to New
York Is Noted
PORT CONDITIONS
ARE ALSO IMPROVED
If the Weather Continues Favorable the
Railroads Hope to Shake Themselves
Loose from Congestion Within Week
or Ten Days.

NEW YORK, Feb. 13.-Francis La
Bau, in charge of the task of moving
domestic freight to this port from all
centres in the territory between the
Mississippi river and the Atlantic
coast, reports to the regional director
that foodstuffs for the allies are flow
ing eastward uninterruptedly and in
large volume, and that great improve
ment had been made in forwarding do
nestle freight. The regional director s
device of concentrating shipments at
certain centres, such as East ST. Louis,
Pittsburg and Buffalo, and then rushing
them to the East on solid trains run
ming on passenger schedules, has worked
well up to date.
Mr.. La Bau s report, together with
data obtained elsewhere by the region
al director, indicated that systematized
railroad operation has been effective in
forestalling a food shortage such as
was apprehended few weeks ago
Every effort has been made to keep
flour moving from the Northwest and
live stock and dressed meats from Chi
cago.
The success in this line has been much
more notable than was had III moving
fuel. both anthracite and bituminous;
but the regional director and the oper-
ating officials of the coal carrying
roads point out that localized misfor-
tunes combined to hinder and halt coal
movements. There has been constant
trouble with snow, sleet and bitter cold
III the anthracite districts of Pennsvl-
vania and in the great bitumin6us re-
gions.
Another favorable report was con
tanned in the summation of freight
movement for the whole eastern terri
tory. This showed that idle DAYS for in
dustrv and more favorable weather
conditions had given the railroads an
other chance to dig into congestion and
relieve il considerably. In the matter
OF stalled eastbound freight n gain of
10 per cent was made, tine aecumula-
tons being reduced from 4,910 ears
to 1880, Il net gain of 5,55l ears In
wostbound freight Accommodations the
reduction was about the same. the gain
being from 40,&69 ears to 20 $50 Much
progress was made In shunting empties
East or West. the accumulation in the
former class dropping from 9,64s ears
to ,2l4 ears, and in the latter class
from 40,S sos to "a, S75.
third Improvement was noted in
the report of conditions at this port.
Harhor conditions improved greatly.
Freight Accommodations were cut heavily
over Sunday and Monday. The report
of the marine director showed that verv
little drift ice hampered the operations
of tugs and lighters and that moro of
such necessary marine freighters were
back iii service than has been the ease
for weeks The New York Towboat Elk
change reported that IL tugs were laid
up for repairs, and the railroads that
operate their own boats have II OH the
stocks. On the whole, more advance
was made on the fourth Monday of in
dustrlal suspension than had been the
case on any of the preceding MONDAYS,
the terms of Dr. Garfield s order being
better understood by persons that had
a right to labor
There was enough bad news coming
i'll to the regional director : office to
keep all hands from indulging in much
congratulation. The Ohio river situa-
tlon is again ominous, and several i'm
| portant railroads operating from Gin
einnati are badly crippled by rising
| fioodd
Shifting to New England the situa-
ton was not promising. There has been
another heavy snowfall in northern
| New England, six to eight inches, and
| all roads in that territory were slowed
down while snow ploughs operated. In
| the northern part of the state there was
more snow, fall of two inches, which
| drifted badly. Conditions at Pittsburg,
Buffalo and Philadelphia improved but
little. In the mining regions persistent