The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-11-18
Topeka Railway Officials See
Effects of Fuel Shortage.
NOn-EssentiaIs in Traffic Would
Be Eliminated.
THROW CREWS OUT OF WORK
Reduced Service Would Be Felt
in Ranks of Railroads.
Big Shops Here Would Not
Come Under Initial Cut.

Curtailment of freight shipments to
| immediate necessities of life, a posi-
BILE embargo on delivery of coal to nom
essential industries, elimination of To-
cal passenger trains on main lines,
drastic cuts in thru" and branch line
| passenger service and the first mo
| ticable" unemployment as a result of
the coal strike, were anticipated in
Topeka railway offices today if the re-
gional directors conference in Chicago
today agrees upon a general freight
embargo and so, per cent reduction
| in passenger service.
Action considered by the directors
| meeting with Rail Director Hines did
not surprise Kansas railroad officials
The crisis in mid-weStern coal distri-
button, it was declared, was today i'm
mediate.
| Altho official word from Chicago
was lacking, railroad officials here in
terpreted the general embargo con-
| sldered as a strict control over all
freight shipments, wherein immediate
| nom ssentials of life will be eliminated
| in order to cut down fuel for traffic
to a minimum and make more cars
| available for coal distribution from the
| mines in operation.
Throw Crews ONT of Work.
Curtailment of freight service, it
| was declared. will likely result in
| throwing train crews, yard crews and
warehouse employees out of employ
ment temporarily, at least. Cut in
passenger service will also throw
trainmen out of work, it was antici-
| pated.
Passenger officials here today
looked for the first passengert train
| service Examinations to come on branch
| lines and also discontinue Implications
and local trains on main lines. The
branch line service, it was thought
| would be cut to leave one train a day
| each way where. for instance. two
| trains now run each way daily. Thru"
| trains might serve also as local trains
| if the mainline locals were discon-
| tinued.
shutdown of Industries.
| The freight embargo, it was said,
| will probably, if ordered, result in
shutdown of many industries for lack
| of materials, and close many mon
essential ones for lack of coal. Little
coal was today being distributed to
| Topeka industries by railroads, it was
| declared. The coal seized and held for
| rationing to industries by rail lines at
\ the beginning of the miners strike
was practically exhausted in Topeka
| today This created another crisis in
| operation of local industries, the same
conditions said to be prevalent turnout
/ the state.
Railroad officials did not expect to-
| day that the freight embargo and pas
senger curtailment anticipated will af-
feet the big Santa Fe shops here, inn
| mediately. at least, unless the confer
ence today decided to cut shop con-
| sumption OF fuel, a thing regarded as
| unlikely.
| . How far a freight embargo will go
| toward demoralizing industries and
| throwing men out of work depends, it
| was declared, upon how quick the
miners get back to work, thereby
regulating the life of the embargo and
] passenger cut.