The Holt County sentinel., 1920-09-03

The chief compliant 81 Producer
and shipper of ul cl"Ss"s todg"
that tho Iilu'd 'u No. fWuf
.nrupl ,.r. :, u.s. 81 w,isrt.
Nn'"rau1. ,hr '",ers uf the M
die We, a"d other shrrrrs are die
posed to blame tho railroad manage.
ments for the condition.
Why don't tho rnilrords rrorri'
carry all tho frcirht orfrrNd thew
The main rcaso, II ,"pi drr'r~ ihS
last five wear they already have IN.
creased Nv abm't 10 Nor cent the
amount Of the freight handled, while
their freight cars and other facilities
have increased less than per cent.
Whv haven't railway rnrs n"i oth"'
facilities irrrcascd MORO? FirS' no,
cause. while the railways were being
privately oneratcd. over regulation in
tcrfercd with the provision Of ample
facilities. and secondly. because during
the two years they were under govern
ment operation the government made
almost no increases In cars and other
facilities.
The railway arrangements are max
ing great efforts To improve the situa-
ton. The amout OF freight that can
be moved with any given number OF
ears depend on how many miles day
each car Is moved. Under government
operation in February 1920. the aver
age miles moved by each car daily was
90. The railways under private man.
agement have set out to increase the
average movement to 30 miles, or al
most 40 per cent over what II was in
the last month of government opera
ton. The outlaw strikes in April End
May seriously interfered with the eff
ficiency, but in June each car was
moved on the average of 25 miles pei
day, an improvement over February OF
10 per cent.
The railways are also taking steps
To increase their supplies of ears an,
expand other facilities. Before the re
cent advances in rates were grantee
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion the railway companies had ar
ranged to spend about $3.50, 000,0 600 TO
new cars and locomotives and for al
ditions and improvements in thei
tracks, yards and other facilities
Now that the advances in rates hav
been granted they will enlarge thei
plans for improvements.
Out in this part Of the country som
people are trying to convince the farm
ers that the railroads are not maxim
proper efforts to move grain, liv
stock, etc, and that in many eases the
are carelessly letting their cars stan
around when they ought to be l
motion. Investigation shows tina
charges Of this nature are general
based on lack of full and correct IN
formation and are unjust. The West
ein lines are very short of cars, an
of locomotives ana other necessai
facilities to move the cars. Further
more, the government returned niue
of their equipment in bad shape, Man
of these cars which, il is charged, u
railways are letting stand around al
cars that are in bad order and avail
ing their turn to go into the repa
shops.
The statistics of the Interstate Con
merce Commission show that thus Ii
this year, in spite of the continuo'
string of annoying difficulties wit
which the carriers have had to conten
the Western lines have moved mo
freight of all kinds than last year al
that the amount of freight moving
constantly increasing. Railway offie
ais do not claim that the railways a
being operated perfectly, but they a
doing their best and II the farmers al
other shippers will help them by loa