The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-10-14
Heaviest Season
For Railroads



lions and the resulting insistency Of
the public sentiment upon release
from wartime restrictions.
"These. advantages have been lost.
The fact that there Is still q shortage
IN railroad. transportation is due to
conditions that the amount of BUSH
ness offerings Is far in excess of the
transportation faculties Of the
country.
This always has been true In this
country, in times of heavy business
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 expended to the extent re-
quired in the public interest. Even
prior to the war, railroad facilities
were not equal to the demands. Dur
ing the war the addition of new
facilities was greatly restricted by
scarcity OF material and labor, since
the. war 1t has been impossible to
enter upon or carry out any extensive
program for the enlargement of rail-
road capacity because Of the uncer-
tainty as to the status Of the rail-
roads. The railroad administration
was not provided with the money,
and therefore could not organize or
carry out any such programs. The
railroad companies, in view of the
uncertainty. were 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
being done with less shortage of
transportation than manifested itself
at times in the prewar period. Par
tucular attention is being paid by
the railroad administration to fur
nishing necessary equipment for the
transportation of coal and of grain.
It was decided early in September
that in order to meet the coal re-
uuirements of the country 1t would
| be necessary for the railroads to
move minimum of 100000 tons
| of bituminous coal week for the
week ended September Is, 11,O46,-
900 tons were transported for the
week ended September 20, 1,248,-
900 tons were transported and for
week ended September ~ the rail-
road administration estimates that
approximately 11,575 5000 tons were
transported. Conditions have de.
veloped which have made it neces.
sary to handle the wheat situation in
an emergency way. This situation
has been complicated by the fact
that many Of the elevators are full
i and it has been impractical to move
additional wheat to points where the
elevators are full because to do 80
would cause large numbers of rail
road cars to be filled with grair
which could not be disposed of a
destination and this would result il
practically taking such cars out O.
the transportation service and using
them for short storage and deprivin,
the public generally Of cars which
I are badly needed for business Q
every sort. The railroad administra
tion is following this matter yer.
vigorously in consultation with tn,
grain corporation and the directo
general will consider the PERSONAL.
at meeting of interested railroad Of
ficers representatives of the grain
corporation with others to be held a
Chicago this week as to the situation
in Texas, where the wheat conditions
are practically, accute because ath'
crop is approximately 25,0O0,00l
bushel larger than last year ant
where there is scarcity of loca
storage facilities arrangements arr
being made thru the grain corpora
ton for the sending of additions
cargo vessels to Galveston and ear
rangements have already been mad,
for increasing the number of per
.mits for carloads of wheat into Gal
weston from so to 100 per day
Particular efforts are being made tt
move wheat which is on the grouns
and is thus exposed to the weather.
HALE HOLDEN.
i