The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-20
RAILROADS EFFICIENT
UNDER FEDERAL RULE
Report For Five Months Shows East
ern Lines Rapidly Approaching
the Maximum.
DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME.
Chaotic Conditions of Last Winter
Entirely Past-McAdoo Congrntu-
lates Regional Director On Show
ing.

Washington, June 1S.--What fed
eral control can do, and has done, FOR
the railroads of the country, is ex-
emplified by the present condition or
the Eastern roads. They are rapidly
approaching 100 per cent efficient
from a. state OF almost utter dem oral
ization Ave months ago, plus >unpre-
cedented weather. conditions that pre-
vailed for two months or more after
the government took control
Present conditions are set forth in |
detail by A. II. Smith. regional direc-
tor OF the Eastern roads under Dt-
rector General McAdoo, for the first |
five months of federal control. The
remarkable showing Is highly COM |
mended by Dtrector-General McAdoo /
in a letter to Mr.. Smith in which he |
says:
IT congratulate you and the officers
and men under you for the loyal and {
effective services they rendered TO
their country In bringing the railroads
in the Eastern territory up to such
high standard of operation in SO short I
time. We railroad men have been /
given a big part of the responsibility
for licking something spelled with |
four letters out of the kaiser and his
military gang. 1t Is a rare privilege
and what you have already done
shows that we are going to do our
share of the job to Uncle Sans taste. /
Keep up the good work"
Director Smith reports return al
most to normal after the chaotic con-
ditions OF the winter in the Eastern
territory.
He tells of the severe weather. OF
shortage of motive power and the
acute labor shortage, and then recites
| what has been done since the ran
roads came under federal control on
January /, in the cause of efficient
! operation In the Eastern territory:
The elimination Of approximately
2,2o0, 600 miles per month OF unessen-
| tial passenger train mileage.
The assignment of 122 locomotives
! constructed for the United States mil
| itary railways in france; also l2o
| locomotives constructed for the Rus
1 sian government. as we'll as llS loco
motives under order for Southern and
/ Western roads to Eastern roads.
/ The transfer of power from one
road to another to relieve congestion
or shortage OF power. All roads are
required to report surplus equipment
/ and 1t is distributed wherever the
need for II appears. On May II, Fl
! locomotives belonging to Eastern rail-
roads were rented on this basis TO
/ Diversion of traffic to less congest-
ed routes and the expedited movement
of empty box. refrigerator and stock
cars Westhound, and empty coal cars
TO the mines via the most available
routes. regardless of loaded haul.
Handling company fuel and ma
terial by most direct routes, saving
unnecessary haulage.
i The common use OF terminal. facill-
at al
The interchange of labor TO elm
mate accumulations OF less than car
; load lots OF freight.
The coordination OF harbor facif-
ties at New York.
Institution OF sailing days'' in the
handling of less than carload lots OF
freight, In a very large number of
: instances regular cars previously load
ed daily are now forwarded but three
; times a week. which is resulting in a
: decrease of so per cent in the num-
, Der of cars used.
The facilities of the Eastern rail-
! roads locomotives and car repair
, shops are being constantly scrutinized
in an endeavor to find space for re-
3 pairing locomotives OF other Eastern
, railroads not so we'll equipped, and TO
r date 9s Eastern railroad locomotives
z have ben repaired and IS additional
are undergoing repairs at shops other
than those OF the owning lines. In ad-
dition, arrangements have been made
with the Western railroads for the
repair of 66 Eastern line locomotives,
% of which are at present in Western
shops undergoing repairs
All these measures made possible
= through federal control have resulted
in miracles of accomplishment that
: would not have ben possible under
: private control In February, 1l3 out
or EHU pIdSf furnaces were smut down.