The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-16
SWITCHING
CREWS ARE ADDED
Roads Co. operate in Fast I'm
loading-Delay in Ship
pers' Order Bills,

-Four local railway lines have put on
additional switching crews during the
last week to expedite the handling of
snipplng IN The local yards, as a re-
suit Of the campaign in~augurated last
tuesday by the Memphis freight car
conservation committee, which was or
sdIlzed at that time among local rail-
way traffic officials for the purpose OF
deVislnP ways and means Of relieving
the acute car shortage in this territory.
me second meeting Of the committee
met at the call Of the chairman, w. u.
May, division freight agent for the Mis-
souri, Pacific, in the commercial offices
OF the Rock Island railroad in The Elk
change building, Tuesday morning, and
eanVassed the results of the first week
OF the campaign.
As yet no appreciable improvement in
Ihe car shortage here was to be noted
from the reports received, but the plans
ADOPTED were said to have met with
the enthusiastic approval and promises
OF cooperation from both shippers and
the railroads, with indications that i'm
proved conditions will soon follow, The
addition Of the new switching crews is
one evidence of the spirit OF co-opera-
ton on the part of the railroad oper-
atng officials, and the shipping public
gives evidence OF being equally In earn
est IN IT'S efforts to conserve shipping
tonnage,
The Illinois Central railroad has added
i've extra switching crews, the l.. e. N.
shreey the Rock Island two, and the
missouri Pacific one, Other lines may
nave added crews, but there was no re-
port on their activities In the matter.
All subcommittee viii continue their
work IN a~cquatnting shippers with ways
or getting greater tonnage out of every
car ana In ways to keep every car
moving, with the minimum of delay
In loading and unloading.
one heavy leakage OF ~transportage
equipment revealed by the work OF the
committee that Is costing the shippers
OF Memphis the use of between $50 and
aoo cars per day, was found to be I'M
necessary delay In the delivery of ship
per's order bills OF ladings.
The almost universal practice of re-
oeivers Of carload lot shipments, sub
1eet to shippers order, to delay taking
up the bill of lading from the bank
until after noon, and delaying the de-
livery of the bin of ladlngs to the rail-
roads with orders for placing the cars
until late In the afternoon, prevents
the, placing of the cars until the fol-
lowing day.
II the shippers would take up the
bills OF lading In the and de-
liver them TO the railroads with In
structons for placing the cars by noon,
such shipments would be switched to
the unloading tracks that afternoon,
The bulk Of these orders now are re-
eeived by the railroads between 4 and
. O'Clock, too late for the cars to be
set that day, n as u result the cars
are not placed until the next afternoon.
This practice auses the cars to stand
idle fully "a hours longer thar neces-
sary, amounting to several full trains
daily,
The committee Immediately will
| bring his matter TO tho attpntion NJ
the interests involved. as well as with
the banks, and see IL quicker action
may, not be had in handling such ship
ments,
The committee will meet again ut
the same hour next week.