The sun., 1919-08-16
y %
COAL CAR SHORTAGE
MINIMIZED BY HINES
Director-General Of Railways
Says 775,ooo VIII Be Avail
able for Use.
SOME OTHERWISE NEEDED
Anticipates Some Hardships
This Winter, but Not Of an
Alarming Nature.
SOME OTHERWISE NEEDED
spscsi pe.ps.eA 90 tn. sux.


wAsHINoroN, Aug. i5.--High prices
for coal. threatened froyss time TO time
by the producers as irhminent for the
coming winter. may noe be attributed to
deficiency Of the railway service. aeoord-
ing to Direotor-0enerai Hines In his
answer to inquiries Of the Senate on
possible shortage OF fuel.
II do not anticipate any shortage In
transportation which win be In any case
exceptional or abnormal or which win
be oppressive" said Mr.. Hines.
Mr.. Hines told the Senate there would
be available about 77b.o00 coal cars OF
various capacities out OF tho open top
cars in the federalized service. Of which
200, 900 are In complete repair. He said.
however this type of equipment Ia
regularly used for a very heavy tonnage
Of other bulk commodities which can
not be handled except in open top cars"
Adequate transportation for many OF
these commodities" he continued. par
ticularly those used In highway con-
struction and repairs. general building
and railroad ballast and Improvement
work now requires a large number Of
these cara Those actually In current
use for transportation OF coal number
about 100000. II must be remembered
also that box cars always have been
used to an important extent IN some
parts Of The country for transporting
coal"
shortage of Bftumfnous Cars.
Answering the question as to sufrci-
ency Of railroad owned cars Mr.. Hines
said there has at no time been a short
age Of cars for anthracite carrying. but
at the same time he was not dubious as
10 the prospects respecting bituminous
coal. There has been. he said. slight
shortage of bituminous carriers in south
west Virginia, eastern Ohio and western
Pennsylvania. due to accumulation Of
cars In lal1o coal trade In June. and
since about July Is when production
began to speed UP there have been some
shortages ip other regions OF the btu
minous coal belt of the Alleghenies.
Strikes had influenced the situation to a
degree.
The Railroad Administration. Mr..
Hines added, had purchased $4,000 cars
available for the coal trade and de-
liveries were coming along. Some of the
cars were already in service.
Answering the question as to the
methods adopted by the Director-General
for supplying producers with the neces-
saiy cars Mr.. Hines said:
Cars when available In full of all re-
quirements are placed for loading in ac-
cordance with shipperS orders When
ever requirements exceed the cars avail
able each railroad sndeavors TO allocate
cars to the service of the several COM
modities requiring open top cars. 30 that
the same relative service is accorded
each without undue discrimination. Com
mod.ties which can obtain adequate
transportation in the rousher class of
closed cars. though more conveniently
handled in open top cars are required to
: use rough box or stock cars when avail
able in order that open top cars may be
released for coal loading.
How the Cars Are Allotted.
nous coal loading are prorated among
the mines on the basis Of the rated ca
pacity OF the mines or their orders II
less than that rating. The rated ca
pacity is ascertained by a formula which
has been adopted and promulgated for
the use Of all railroads by the Railroad
Administration with the concurrence OF
the National Coal Association. and Is In
effect uniform throughout the country.
SIR. Hines is opposed to any new legis-
iation at this time looking to meeting in
creased demands for coal. 1T Is not be-
lieved." he said. that further action by
Congress will aid In meeting the de-
mands for transportation of the coal
which will be needed during the remain
der Of the calendar year. The matter Is
dependent largely upon practical conds-
tons which will not be affected by legis-
lation. The transportation difficulties
will not be principally or primarily a
shortage Of cars but the fact that the
entire railroad plant--locomotives. care,
main track. terminal tracks, &c.-will
be occupied In handling very large
business OF all sorts that an abnormal
amount of any particular business. such
as coal inevitably will lead to congestion
and delay. Nevertheless. the UNIFIED con-
troll OF the railroads will admit of spe-
cializing on the transportation OF coal to
whatever ertent 10 necessary to prevent
actual hardship"