Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-10
FREIGHT EMBARGO
/, HALTS BUILDING
Local Concerns Appeal to Inter
State Commerce Commis-
sion for Cars.

Acute shortage Of building materials
IN Threatened bv the order of the Inter-
etate Commerce Commission requiring
railroads to give preference IN the
ASSIGNMENT of cars TO coal mines east OF
the Mississippi river. Some contractors
who are under bond to complete Jobs are
hclplcss because they can get no materials.
Work on State roads and city streets is
DELAYED bv the lack of sand As result
Of a meeting in Washington Wednesday
between representatives of many building
industries and the Interstate Commerce
Commission, it is hoped that the order
may be modified in such way as ts bring
some relief
Charles T.. Bye, secretary of the Charles
Warner Company, attended the meeting,
and said that he believes the order may be
modified when the time set for the original
order expires. This will be about July
%. He believes that the Interstate
Commerce Commission may then permit
use of open-top cars for shipment of ma
terials that can be carried only in such
cars. provided that use for this purpose
does not interfere with coal shipments.
The difficulty of securing sand Tor
building operations in this city, MIR.
Rvc stated is due to ruling OF the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad officials in inter-
preting the order of the Interstate Com
merce Commission. This ruling is to the
effect that the movement of cars for de
livery of sand would not be In line with
the movement to and from the coal helds.
A lob at Farnhurst has been practically
paralvzed because of lack of sand. Evl-
dence showing that sand shipments would
be in line with those of coal, he said, was
presented to the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
At present many cars which would be
of the greatest service in carrying on
industry temporarily, are apparently
living idle, Mr.. Bye declared. Mean
while contracts for State roads, calling
for the delivery of two carloads of sand a
dav. cannot be filed because no cars are
available to haul the sand.
The reason for the Interstate Commerce
Commission order is a shortage of coal
in the Great Lakes region and IN New
England. On the Great Lakes, reports OF
July | show that shipments of coal were
2. 600. 900 to 100000 tons behind the
normal shipment at that time of year.
Navigation on the Great Lakes closes IN
November, so that it was considered OF
urgent Importance to get the coal deliver
cd while the waterways were open. In
New England the situation was similar,
although sea navigation IS maintained
later than that on the lakes
The order of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. however, is considered by
the building industries too drastic. 1t
has the effect of tying their hands during
the open weather when most of their
operations can be carried on most effec-
lively.
Several contractors OF the city spoke
yesterday of the way in which their
hands are tied by the car shortage Joseph
;. Hamilton and ]. A. Bader pointed out
that their work has already been delayed
by the strike and that shortage of materials
brought about by the Interstate Commerce
Commissions order Is making it very
difficult for contractors TO meet their
obligations. III. A. Sibley said that at
present limestone can be shipped only in
box cars, which can not carry some OF the
necessary heavy pieces.