The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-09-10
URGENT APPEALS
FOR POTATO CARS
Director Of Commercial
Economy and Utilities
Commission Unite to
Help Farmers.

deck stock cars for the shipment O
sheep and hogs from southern Idah,
points, the Oregon Short Line rail-
road has reported to the public utili
ties commission at Boise that ther,
are but two double-deck cars avail
able at this time for the filling of al
order for 275 of these cars in south
ern Idaho. They report that the,
have plenty of single-deck cars OF
hand for the shipment of cattle ani
horses to fill all demands. but al
this time it is impossible to gel
sufficient double-deck cars.
Car Shortage Acute.
Another car shortage situation ex.
lists in southern Idaho, according tc
J. W. Graham of the public utilities
commission, as shown by telegra.
phic correspondence carried on fol
the past two days between Mr.. Gra.
ham and railway officials to secure
relief for potato growers who are in
urgent need of cars to ship their
early varieties Of tubers at this time,
Mr.. Graham's telegram to Hale Hol-
/ den, regional director of the United
States railroad administration al
Chicago, dated September 5, reads
as follows:
Must Have Cars Now.
About 100 cars more Of early po-
tatoes in southern Idaho ready to
market. These must be placed on
market within next two weeks or
same will be total loss. Railroad Of
ficials claim they were ordered not
to use refrigerators for potato load
ing. These~early potatoes cannot be
on account of extreme warm weather,
shipped in anything but refrigerators
Can use about 10 refrigeratOrs per
day. Can you give farmers relief?'s
Gets A-rOmpt Reply.
In answer to this telegram, Mr..
Graham received the following,
Thursday: will invoice and recorder
all assistance possible, but extremely
heavy movement Of fruit is taxing re-
frigerator supply"
Mr.. Graham also wired Manager
Calvin of the Northern Pacific rail-
way at Omaha, urging that southern
Idaho must have refrigerator cars at
once for the early potatoes or sustain
heavy loss. Ten cars per day for
10 days are asked for Caldwell; 26
cars at once for Twin Falls and vicin-
ity, and few cars for Idaho Falls
and Blackfoot. He finishes this ur-
gent request with an appeal to secure
a modification of the order prohibit
ing the use of refrigerator cars for
potatoes.
Lifts Embargo ON Cars.
Later Friday evening it was learned
through the office of o. o. Haga, di-
rector of commercial economy for
Idaho, that the refrigerator car en-
barge for potato shipments had been
nullified and that relief would be
forthcoming for the early potato crop
Through the public utilities COM
mission and the director of economy
office, barrage of appeals has been
fired back and forth by telegram dur
ing the past few days to Idaho sena-
tors of all departments affected by
he ruling on potato shipments to as
'ist In getting notifications of the
order that practically put an embar-
30 on them for the time being, which
according to the information received |
Friday, would have proven fatal to
he early potato crop just harvested.
Great Need for Potato Crops.
Government estimates are to the ef-
ect 1t will take 8,972 cars to move
he 1918 potato crop Of Idaho. This
s much lighter than shipments made
asst year, that ran near the $4,000
ar mark, even when loss Of 1000
ars is figured into the last year es-
innate as a result of car shortages.
Jnless relief is forthcoming early
his season the proportionate loss
8 estimated to be much more on
he 1918 crop.