The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-10-14
GRKAT SHORTAGE
OF CARS SAYS
v. D. HINES

director general or ,railr0adg:
"The railroads of the country arc
now doing a heavier business for the
present season Of the year than was
ever done in the history of railroads
III normal years, and practically as
heavy business as was done at this
season in 1918, which exceeded prev
ious records. They have more cars
in actual service after excluding cars
held out of service for repairs than
in 1917 or 1918. While the bad order
car situation was greatly embarrassed
by the extensive strikes among shop
men in August, the percentage Of bad
order cars is now rapidly improving.
There was an increase Of 52,456 cars
in serviceable condition between Aug.
16 and Oct. 4, 12,11O of this increase
were added in the one week Oct. 4,
while the freight business is prac-
tically as heavy as at this time last
year. year. Now that the railroad ad-
ministration is performing, that bus
mess is unavoidably deprived Of
many exceedingly important aids
which it was able to utilize last year.
One Of these is the coming of coal,
which last year compelled consumers
to take their coal from nearly mines,
and thereby greatly increased the ef--
ficiency Of coal transportation. This
advantage has necessarily been lost
because the coal coming was termin-
ated last winter. Another is that last
year there was much heavier loading
OF many important commodities than
it has chen possible to secure this
year, and the result is that under
conditions more cars have to be used
for the same amount of traffic, than
were used last year. There are vari-
Gus other important respects in
which traffic was controlled in the
interest of the war last year SO as
to get the maximum results out of
rail transportation and with the re-
turn of peace conditions and the re-
sulting insistence Of public sentiment
upon release from war time restric.
tons these advantages have been
lost.
The fact that there is still a short.
age in rail transportation is due to
the condition that the amount of bus.
mess offering is far in excess Of the
transportation facilities of the coun-
try. This has always been true in
this country in times of heavy bust
ness in the autumn months except
last year when the matter could be
and was controlled with an iron hand
with view solely to war necessities,
at the same time railroad facilities
have not exchanged to the extent re-
CURED in the public interest. Even
prior to the war railroad facilities
were not equal to demands of the
war, the addition of new facilities
was greatly restricted by scarcity of
material and labor; since the war, It
has been impossible to enter upon or
carry out any extensive program for
enlargement of railroad capacity be-
cause of the uncertainty as to the
status of the railroad. The railroad
administration was not, provided with
money and, therefore, could not orig
mate or carry out any such program.
The railroad company, in view Of the
uncertainty, We're unwilling to pro-
vide the money. The result is that
the railroad facilities of the country
are decidedly below what the traffic
demands; nevertheless, the maximum
traffic is being handled and this is be-
ing done with less shortage of trans.
portation than manifested itself at
times during the war period. Partic-
ular attention is being paid by the
railroad administration to the fur
nishing OF necessary equipment for
the transportation of coal and of
grain. 1t was decided early in Sen.
TENDER that in order to meet the coal
requirements Of the country, it would
De necessary for the railroads tn
move minimum of II, 900 900 tons Of
pituminous coal week; for the week
ending Sept. 18th, 11,046, 900 tons
were transported; for the week end
ing Sept. Goth, 11,24S,OO tons were
transported and for the week ending
sept. 9th, the railroad administra-
ZION estimates that approximately
ll'675,OOo tons were transported.
Conditions have developed which
nave made 1t necessary to handle the
wheat situation in an emergency way,
inns situation has been complicated
by the fact that many of the elevators
are fuli and it has been impracticable
70 move additional wheat to points
where the elevators are fvl, t.oo.