The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-13
lIllROAO SITUATION
EXPLAINED BY HINES
Director General Of Railroads issueo
Statement Giving Reasons for
Car shortage

walker p. Zines, director general
1 u railroads. today authorized inc
Following
THE ra {lroaas Of the country are
now cong a heavier business Tor the
preeent season Of the year than was
ever done in the history OF the ran
roads in normal years and praSti-
crlly as heavy business as was done
II this season in 1918. which exceed
"a ali previous records. They have
more cars In actual service after ex-
clsading cars held out Of service Tor
repairs than in 1917 or 1si&
while the had order car situatfon
was greatly embarrassed by the ex-
teneive striking among shopmeh IN
August. the percentage OF bad "roer
cars is now rapidly improving. Inere
was an Increase of H2.&SS cars In ser
vicable condition between August is
4 and October 4 Twelve thousand, one
hundred and ten OF the increase were
> aAded in the one week ending pcto-
bar While the freight business
IN practically as heavy as al this time
last year the railroad administration
In performing that business IL w
Ayoidahly deprived Of many exceed
inriy important aids which II was
able to utilize last year one OF
theee is the coming Of coal Wnich
last year compelled consumers 10 take
their coal from nearby mines and
thereby greatly increase the eHlc'enCS
Of coal trains portions,
This advantage has necessarily
heer lost because the coal coming was
Terminated last winter. Another Us
thar hast wear there was much heaN~
,sy loading Of many important com
smotfties than Il has been possible
n secure this year and tn" result IN
that under existing conditions more
rarx have TO he used for the same
ayyte,nt of traffic than we're used last
wear. There are various 0thfr I'M
nortant respects IN which tr*ric was
controlled in the interest OF the war
last year 20 as TO get the maximum
r~suft. out OF railroad transportation
ara With the return OF peace condi-
fiors and the resulting instance OF
nublic sentiment upon release from
4-s4x..A RESTRICTIONS these advantages
have been lost.
Tire fact that there is stii' short
age in rail- transportation iS dne 10
fhe conditions that the amount OF
business Offering ia far in excess OF
The transportation facilities or 'h'
eountry--thfs has always been true
IN this country in times or heavy Gus
fn~sS In the autumn months except
last year when the matter eouio VINO
was controlled with an iron mana
with view soAdty 20 war
ties.
At the same time railroad facthtes
mt exnanded to the extent required
- .be nDhfte interest Even prior TO
the war railroad facilities were NOV
enual to the demands During the
rar the addition OF new facilities
was greatly restricted by scarcity OF
material and labor. Since the war !"
has been Impossible to enter upon or
carry out any extensive program TOT
enlargement of railroad capacity oN~
cause of the uncertainty as 10 inc
status of the raifroa
The railroad administration was
not provided with the money anu
therefore could not originate or carry
out ary such program The railroad
rompanies in view OF uncertainties
were unwilling to provide the money
Tho result la that the railroad IA
rfIsts~s of the country are oecidedly
below what the traTic demands
NEVERTHELESS the maximum traHic u
being handled and this IL being done
with less shortage of transportation
,han manifested Itself at times In
pre-war periods.
Particular attention is being paid
BY the railroads administration 10 the
furnishing OF necessary edutpheh.
for the transportation OF coal ano
rrnin n was decided early in Sep
TENDER that in order to meet the
coal requirements of the country "
would be necessary for the railroads
ID move minimum IF II .ao% tons
81 0itumfn Gus coal week
FNr the week ending September IL
YYp4s.np otons were transported: for
the week ending September 20, IL
$4,000 toms were transported, and
for the week sndinE September ~ the
railroad administration estimated that
approximately 1isT5 900 tons wore
/ transported ..... ,..... ...... ...,..u..
have made II necessary to handle
the wheat situation in an emergency
way.
THIS situation has been cou1ptfcared
by tho fact that many of the eleva-
tors are full and II has been imprsc-
ticable to move additional wheat 70
points where the elevators are fuii
because to do so would cause farEe
numbers of railroad cars to be flled
with grain which could not be dis-
y poeed OF at destination and this woulo
result In trstpE them Tor storage Hna
depriving the public generally of cars
hitch are badly needed for business
of every sort
The railroad administration Ia fol
lowing this matter very vigorously
IN consultation with the grain corpo-
ratsons and the director general VIII
constder the matter personally al
meetings OF interested railroad onl-
GERS, representatives of the grain cor
porntions and others TO he held al
Chicago this week