The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-07
Vice President Bell Gets a
Line Upon Car
Shortage.
MANY BAD ORDER CARS
Shop Strikes Likely to Blow
Up Efforts to Improve
Situation.

Assurance was given by c. w. Gal
loway. Baltimore, federal manager,
and H. B. Vorhees. Baltimore gen
eral superintendent of transportation
of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad lines,
to George II. Bell, executive vice
president of the Northern West Vir-
ginia Operators Association, that the
+. NJ G p. and Connellsville route
would be used when it is necessary
to do so. The officials hold that at
the present time the railroad is phys
ically able to move the loads east
OF Grafton. but when 1t is economic
and necessary to use the Connells-
vile route it will be resorted to. This
probably would mean when the load
ing reaches the 1900 mark.
The foregoing information was
brought back to Mr.. Bell, who return
ed today after he had what he con-
siders u very profitable trip in the
interests of the coal operators. While
in conference with the B. & o. Off
, cials in Baltimore on Tuesday Mr..
Bell discussed the car shortage OF
the region and learned that this was
being experienced ON all lines. He Is
confident that the supply will i'm
prove in the near future.
Mr.. Bell was in Washington, D. c.
on Monday where he received gen.
eral line on the car shortage in the
nation. The railroad administration
has ordered $4,000 open top coal
cars and of these about 10000 have
been completed and number already
distributed. A speed up program is
on foot for the completion of the re-
naming $500 cars. In accordance
with the hurry up plan 500 cars will
be turned out every day at the shop
instead of 400 a day This work may
be impeded somewhat, however, be-
cause of the strikes in the railroad
shops of the country 1t was also
learned that the railroad administra-
ton has 100000 open top coal cars
in impaired conditions, which is 9
per cent OF the total number. The
railroad administration has directed
these cars to be repaired at once.
Shop strikes may somewhat inter
fere with this work also.
There are 900 coal cars in bar or.
der in the Allegheny region of which
I
are apart, this being IL per cent of
those in use. In the Pocahontus re-
gion there are 500 coal cars in bad
order. The Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road has 1888 cars in bad order or
90 per cent, which is lower per-
centagU that that of the Allegheny
region OF which 1t is part.
1t was learned that there have been
plenty of cars on the railroad west
of the Mississippi river and promise
has been made by the administra-
tion that eastern shippers will re-
ceive all cars that it will be possible
to secure without causing shortage
in those regions.
On Monday morning Mr.. Bell in
company with John Callahan, the
traffic secretary OF the National oCal
Association, called upon United
States Senator Cummins, who is
chairman of the Interstate Commerce
committee. Senator Cummins was
busy and he referred Messrs. Bell
and Callahan to United States Sena-
tor Pomerine, OF Ohio. The Ohio
senator had received letter from a
party of his state generalizing on the
SdI bllOlId6cp DuI ne iSSGlNCu bOLu0
detailed information from Messrs.
Bell and Callahan. On Monday af-
ternoon largely on the strength on
the information cleaned Senator
Pomerine introduced resolution
asking for statement from the. rail-
road administration asking it how it
intended to handle the coal'transpor-
tation problem this coming winter.
Immediately the department pro-
ceeded to get busy.
Regional Loading.
In the Fairmont region yesterday
635 cars of coal and coke were load
ed, there having been 631 cars of coal
and 4 cars OF coke. The B. & o. yes
terday loaded SIS cars OF coal and 4
cars of coke, while the Monongahela
Railway loaded lie cars of coal. The
B. & o. loaded east 4S3 cars and west
80 cars. One car of coal was loaded
by wagon mine yesterday.
Daily Car Supply.
Cars on the B. & o. today are V3S
cars. although 1855 cars were order
ed. Today's supply is just slightly
Continued on page four.)