Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-17
CARS NOT MOVED
PROMP TLY CAUSE
Of FREIGHT JAM
A Survey BY Illinois Farm
ers Shows That Equip
ment Stands on Side
Tracks for Days at a Time

Icy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED "IHsl
Chicago, Aug. 1.-THE first sur
vey of freight cars ever taken py
the farmers of the state has just
been completed through the Illinois
Agricultural association, secretary
d. o. Thompson announced today
On the basis of this census he said
Illinois farmers did not believe
there was car shortage. The
trouble with transportation he
characterized as "immobility,' and
he declared the farmers meant to
find out whose fault it was.
Secretary Thompson said the as
ISOLATION undertook its census after
receiving reports from farmers
over the state that they saw many
cars standing idle on country
tracks.
members of the association
made daily records Of the car initi-
ais and numbers of all cars at 494
stations located in forty-siX differ
ent counties for seven consecutive
days" the state farm bureau eX-
ecutive said. "Of these 494 sta
lions, LAG or 29.5 per cent, reported
some of the same cars on tracks
the last day of the count as were on
the tracks the first day Of the
count.
cat all stations, 1924 cars were
listed the first day and of these
cars, 93S out of 1924 cars had not
been moved from the country poin'
for seven consecutive days. This
is just a little over 10 per cent of
the cars at such points.
mo count was made in Chicago
In several other large yards the as
sociation enumerators were elected
from the yard by railroad officials
an Grundy county nine stations
are reported. Four of these showed
a complete clearance, whereas the
other five showed that of a total
Of Asa cars reported the first day
23G identified cars were still on
track seven days later.
Mine operators say they were
forced to idleness many days each
week leading to the strike of the
miners which recently tied up the
mines Just when the farmers were
needing coal for threshing. At this
same time before the strike in
Christian county, at Clarksdale and
a. Nillrys, two trains of coal cars
tctaling fifty-three cars were re-
ported empty at both FIRST and last
days of the count.
"At Bristol, Kendall county
thirty -Cight cars were unmoyed
during the entire week. At Dl-
kota, Stephenson county, twenty
loaded box cars stood on track all
Of the seven days.
"If we may take the total num-
Der of freight cars of the country
on December 81, 1918, as a basis
for computation, and consider that
the percentage of immobility or
ears is as great in Chicago, Toledo,
and New York as in country points
like Clarksdale, Fidelity and Low
Point, it is very moderate when we
say that the total number of new
cars which the railroads say they
need to meet the transportation re-
uuirements of the present moment,
is not a patch to the total of immo-
bile cars now idhng by the weeks
and months in terminal yards and
on side tracks at country points.
"This survey shows pretty clearly
to the farmers of Illinois the eX-
cuse of car shortage is largely
camouflage, given to cover up some
real. deeper reason for the present
transportation inefficiency. And
to search for that reason will be
the next job of the farmers busi-
ness organization"