The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-17
PARTIAL RELIEF
FOR CAR SHORTAGE
Is Promised in the Expected Arrival of
Part of Apportionment of Fifty
Freight Cars to Vermont.

Relief from the most depressing car
shortage that ever developed in the Barre
granite industry will be forthcoming in
the next fortnight if present emergency
plans adopted by quarters and manu-
facturers are in any degree successful
The car famine which made its appear
ance some time ago has rapidly grown
from bad to worse, and should the siren
uous exertions now being made miss fire,
there is no telling what the immediate
future has in store for the Barre district
Nevertheless, tiny ray of hope shed its
rather feeble light on the situation to-
day when railroad officials telegraphed
that an installment of so freight cars
was on its way to Vermont and that a
very large proportion of rolling stock
would be distributed throughout the
Barre district.
BY itself this single inflow of cars will
fall far short of relieving the shortage,
but if the 80 now promised can be ap-
preciably multiplied hundreds of thou
sands of dollars of finished Barre granite
will be released for shipment and sent
on its way at once. Even though gran
ite plants are choked with work that
should have been shipped some time ago,
and the quarries are consequently affect
ed the situation to-day was not without
| its redeeming features, according to in
| formation given out at the Office of the
| Granite Manufacturers association.
iferences Monday and Tuesday be-
| tween quarry owners and manufacturers
have evolved working plan whereby a
| large influx Of cars, if they can be OBJ
tanned, may speedily alleviate car
| famine that was rapidly hurrying the
granite industry into a state where pro-
duction would have to be greatly re-
| duced, if not suspended altogether. Cars
and more cars are the objects sought by
a special committee appointed at the
first conference Monday, and the com
mittee proposes TO stop at nothing short
of supply that will be adequate for
present needs and the needs Of the next
| two months.
Tabulation of returns from every quar-.
rier and manufacturer in the district has
disclosed some astounding figures A
thoroughgoing canvass instituted by the
manufacturers association yesterday had
not been wholly completed at noon to,
day, but the incomplete census told a
story that is almost appalling; Finished
Barre granite weighing many tons and
running into the millions awaits imme.
diate shipment. Over and above that
much more astounding figures tell the
story Of shipments that must be made
before Dec. | unless the work is to be
carried over until next spring. The ogly
! answer is cars, and during the present
period, when transportation facilitie.
and car distribution are regarded by
many as being in chaotic condition
the districts special committee is bend
ing every effort to avert disastrous re
suits by getting cars
That general car shortage is being
felt throughout the East furnishes little
consolation to local shippers, as there i:
a feeling that despite the diversion OF
box cars westward in the direction of sh,
grain belt, a better system of distribu
tion especially distribution OF fat cars
would have averted the present crisis
So the committee is working on tn,
theory that cars may be obtained By
going after them, and advices received
from various quarters indicate that theil
efforts are going to be measurably sue
eessful.