Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-14
End of War and New Systems
Will Allow Railroads to
Gather Cars in Anticipation
of Demands.
HORTICULTURAL SESSION
Short Line Asked for $161, 900
in Claims; Will Settle Con-
troversies Right Away Now;
Pays Out $4,000.

At the morning session of the Idaho
State Horticultural association conven-
tion being held at the commercial club,
it developed that the serious car short
tages of 1917 and 1918 will not be eX-
perienced by fruit growers the coming
season, due, according to Joel l.. Priest,
general agent of the Short Line, to the
adjustment of the per diem system and
the end of the war; both factors which
Will allow the railroads to gather cars
in anticipation of the shippers de-
mands.
This Will be good news for the grow
ers of this state, Il sa repetition of the
troubles of 1917 would prove disas-
trous to the interests of the fruit men
OF Idaho. According to Mr.. Priest,
there is every reason to believe that
the coming growing season will find
the railroads adequately prepared to
handle expedtously, the large crop ex-
pected and take it to its destination
with dispatch
ASSURANCES GIVEN.
During the shipping period of 1917-1S
according to Mr.. Priest, the Short Line
handled 1884 cars of fruit as compared
with 1895 cars in 1915 With the ad-
ADMINISTRATION of the affairs of the OPP
Grating and traffic departments of rail-
roads by the government, many
changes have been made which have
proven valuable in every way
The handling of the crop situation
by the railroads during the season of
1yl7-lS entailed the using of many cars
according to Mr.. Priest: the Short
Line alone handling 1888 cars of wheat
as against $3.50 in 1917: HAS cars
of hay as against 1909 cars in 1917, and
S694 cars of potatoes as against GASP
cars in 1917.
Mr.. Priest recommended that a per-
son or persons be detailed to make a
careful canvass of the fruit situation
for 1919 not later than June Is, and
make and submit a report converting
the amount and character of fruit to
be shipped by the Idaho growers the
coming season; the report also to en-
body the names of the stations from
which the product will be shipped. With
this report at hand, the road will then
make all necessary preparations to care
for the crop, and will see to it that
plenty of cars are on hand at the APP
pointed time and places to speedily
handle the situation.
OTHER ADDRESSES.
After the talk of Mr.. Priest. a paper
by j. c. Sewell on Results of Car
Shortage in Boise Valley In 1917" was
read by the secretary. Mr. Sewell not
being able to be present, A talk was
scheduled for the morning session oy
President Secrist of the Pacific Fruit
Express company, but on account of
late train connection. Mr.. Secrist did
arrive. He will, however. speak dur
ing the convention as lie will probably
arrive in the city this afternoon.
Howard Bruneau, freight claim agent
for the Short Line, was in attendance
at the convention, and gave very in
teresting talk covering the claims of
fruit growers arising from the troubles
of 1917.
lie said that the situation as TO
claims on perishable freight during the
season of bits was very bad; that
when he came to the Short Line IN
July he found large accumulation Of
fruit claims some of them six and
eight months old. He said that the
reason the claims We're not attended
to promptly was that it was impossi-
BILE to keep or secure competent office
men who understood the claim depart
mental work of a RAILROAD. as the war
had stripped them of their best men,
and it was constantly necessary to
break in green employees, In connec-
tion with this. he said that on one oc-
casion, large number of claims in
spectors left the railroad in body and
Joined the marines.
He said that the value of the claims
during 1917-1S totaled in the neighbor-
hood of $161 900, the number of claims
being between 600 and 700. To date
he said. his force has disposed of about
300 of these claims, and paid out total
Of $4,000 to claimants, with about 200