The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-10-07
RAIL CAR SHORTAGE
Would be Relieved by Operation of
Babcock Road Plan-VOte for
Amendment No. l.
Adoption of Plan Would Prove of
Benefit to Farmer in Hauling
Products to Market.

Railroad officials aver that the
freight car shortage in the country
has reached point where it has be-
come a serious proposition. In fact
but little moro than 16 per cent of the
normal increase in cars has been built
while the demand has gone to 70
per cent. This condition was aggra-
waited by the war, during which period
material and labor were expended on
munitions instead of on peace-time
necessities.
Considerably more than 80 per cent
of the usage of freight cars is in So
called "short hauls." These short
hauls are over distances of less than
200 miles They are not profitable for
the railroad companies and the loss in
Cured is absorbed by the hauls over
longer distances.
Take for example the haul from st.
Paul to Duluth. 1t is common for a
shipment to take from three to five
days over this route, counting from
the time it is loaded until it is I'M
loaded. The same shipment from St.
Paul to Chicago takes no more time
and in some cases even less. Yet this
is more than twice the distance. Way
freights or local freights, as they are
commonly called, use a large number
of freight cars and are carrying much
less than their capacity each trip.
When Amendment No. 1 is approved
by the people at the November cleo
tions it will make possible roads of
such quality that trucks may be sub
stituted for the extravagant freight
car and both time and money saved.
Trucks are now running over the
Twin Cities-Duluth highway, even in
the present unsatisfactory condition
of the roads, on schedule that calls
for less than two days for the trip.
These trucks are loaded to capacity
and by agreement with the shipper
call at the door for their load and de-
liver it to the door of the consignee.
This is what the truck lines will do
for the city man.
The farmer, however, will profit
even more. By means of his truck
he can, with good roads, load up his
produce and carry it SO or 100 miles
to market with little increase in cost
to him and yet take advantage of q
rising market. If he is forced to de-
pend on the railroad for his short haul
sales he must drive to the nearest
railroad station and then wait for the
railroad company to "spot" car.
This may be done in day, but the
fact is it is not being done at that
rate today nor will it be for some
time to come, railroad men aver. I'm
der the provisions of Amendment No.
the state is required Immediately to
put the roads on the trunk highway
system in the best of condition and
keep them that way. This means that
as soon as the law goes into effect the
roads will be placed in good shape and
immediate results may be expected.
In other words, instead of being forced
to wait for years for the railroads to
catch up with their car building pro-
gram and in the meantime being
forced to put up with delays, approval
of Amendment No. 1 will insure good
road to every farmers gate and i'm
proved shipping facilities, at least for
the short haul, which is the beginning
of nearly every farmers shipment of
food stuffs.