The Washington times., 1920-07-03
RELIEF IS DELAYED
BY CAR SHORTAGE
Aid for Congested Housing Con-
ditions Depends Upon Better
Transportation Facilities.


Preliminary Investigations by ex-
perts of the Senate Committee on Re
construction are developing the fact
that the lack OF transportation may
postpone any relief for the housing
shortage during the present year and
that the present coal shortage, which
is the cause OF the recent freight
embargoes, is due In part to the alb
normal expectation of coal: that
coastwise shipments are imprac-
ticable at the present time.
Senator William NJ. Calder OF New
York. chairman OF the Senate Com
mittee on Reconstruction, in his letter
OF June 4. addressed to the Interstate
Commerce Commission, drew their at
tention to the inability OF manufac-
turers OF building materials TO obtain
fuel for the manufacture or trans
portation for the delivery OF their
product. During the past spring ship
ments OF building materials of manu-
facturers have been estimated as less
than a third OF the capacity OF the
plants. Large quantities % building
materials are now accumulating at
the plants, but are unavailable for
construction purposes.
CONDITION SERIOUS.
The condition of the building indus
try has become much more serious
since the issuance OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission of it's recent
orders for the redistribution Of empty
cars and for the ALLEGATION of cars for
fuel.
During a recent interview, Senator
Calder stated that the Senate Com
mittee is alive to the fact that relief
OF the present housing conditions
must come about through construction
work started during July, August, or
September, and that II the freight en-
barge against building materials per-
sists, relief for the congested districts
will not be achieved during the pres
ent year. There are no statistics
available as to construction activities
during the month Of June, but II is
reported that construction has already
fallen off 10 per cent during the month
Of May as compared with the pre-
ceding two months. and that the
amount OF residential construction
during the first Ave months of this
year has been 25 per cent less than
the first Ave months of last year.
In an effort to avert a possible
housing panic in the fall by imme-
diate, though informal. action, the
chairman of the Senate Committee on
Reconstruction has had several con-
ferences during the past week with
prominent railroad executives and
transportation experts and has receiv-
ed assurances of cooperation on the
part Of railroad officials.
a., q
directly attributable to the coal short
age. and by many the cause of the
coal shortage is attributed to the ex-
traordinary expectation Of coal dur,
ing the first six months Of the pres
ent year, which has exceeded the ex-
portation during any corresponding
period in the nations history, even
SURPRISING the expectation in the
maximum war year of 1917 by about
200 per cent. According to President
Williams of the Delaware and Hudson
railroad, reports from the United
States Geological Survey have indi-
Gated greatly increased production of
both bituminous and anthracite coal
during the first six months of this
year. :
EMBARGO ON COAL.
Before the embargo on the export
Of coal was placed on June 20, export
coal was selling at unheard of prices
in New York. Manufacturers of
lime, cement, and other building ma
terials, who formerly purchased coal
at the mines at S5 cents, and who still
hold contracts for the delivery OF
coal at $50, have been unable to Sc
cure coal for lime burning, etc, under
$40 to $11 per ton.
The fact that the all-rail freight
rate for coal to New England is some
81 less per ton than the rail to sea-
board and water rate, is undoubtedly
tending to force New England coal
shipments over the railways. 1t is said
that New England requires 24,000,0oO
tons annually, and that 1T Is beyond
the capacity of the railroads in nor
NAL times to carry more than twelve
million. The high water rates, as well
as the limited coastwise shipping ia
cilities, is therefore an indirect cause
of the present rail embargoes on
building materials.
In the present emergency IT is but
natural that the people of New York
should look for relief through trans
portation of heavy materials over
the barge canal. This waterway,
which was constructed at a cost of
81 &C, ,000, 900 of the New York
peoples money, is affording no per-
ceptable relief; in fact, the canal is
said to be moving less tonnage than 1t
did in the days Of the muAe-drawn
boat, and indeed, owing to the eight
hour shifts of the tugs, the trans
portation is slower than in days when
the mule was used for the motive
power. Large quantities Of building
materials are available along the
canal, but the present conditions pro-
hibit moving them to New York, even
to complete projects upon which work
has now been suspended. In a con-
ference between Senator Calder and
the superintendent of public works OF
New York State, the question of the
proper utilization of the barge canal
was thoroughly gone into.
1t is understood that the Senate
committee on reconstruction, which is
now completing its preliminary or
ganization, will commence to hold
hearings in New York City during
the early part Of July and will later
hold hearings in the principal cities
throughout the country, co-ordinating