Evening star., 1920-10-17
BIG STRIDES MADE
IN IMPROVEMENT
OF CAR SERVICE
Estimated Shortage of 324,'
600 as Result of War
Being Fought.

Great strides have been made in
improving the freight service Of the
railroads in spite of an estimated
shortage Of $4,000 freight cars as
result of cessation of building due to
the war, according to a statement by
l.. H. Bean. vice president of the
Dwight Robinson Company
Mr.. Bean said today that the public
ia not generally acquainted with the
heroic efforts of the railroads of the
nation to meet the congested. over
crowded condition of the freight gate
ways of the country. during the past
! six months, at the same time facilitat-
ing in every possible way movement
of empty cars back to points of
loading.
Added to the car shortage is the
great number of cars in bad condi-
ton" Mr.. Bean said. so serious has
| been this shortage that farmers have
been warned they might not be able
to get their grain harvest to market
Plants Limit Production.
'In the industrial field plants have
had to limit production even with
F.; their sidings filled with cars-some in
such bad order as to be useless. Some
! private concerns have even repaired
cars on their sidings at their own ex-
pense rather than delay, their ship
ments further Others have placed
orders with car builders for their own
rolling stock.
This serious situation has been
steadily improved. The Interstate
Commerce Commission has authorized
| increased demurrage and reconsign-
| ment charges. to cut down non-pro-
ductive time of cars; the Association
of Railway Executives has set for its
goal an Average movement of not less
freight car. AS result, the railroads
report moving 1000 carloads more
than in August, 1913, which was the
record up to that time"
Locomotives, however. constitute
the neck of the traffic bottle" Mr..
Bean said. New freight cars or re-
paired freight cars alone cannot speed
! up the movement Of traffic to the de-
sired point. Not only are the rail-
roads short of engines. but too many
of those they have are out of repair
too much of the time.
Engines Out of Repair.
Engines get out of repair SO fire.
Quently and remain out SO long be-
cause Of the general lack OF modern
locomotive terminals and repair shops.
Railroads have only one commod-
a large percentage of locomotives out
of repai Transportation cannot be de-
livered, regardless OF the condition
and supply of cars or the efficiency of
management in other respects
Ordinarily in this country about IS
sick list. If by better terminals and
shops this figure could be cut to 10
per cent, $500 more engines would be
available-the equivalent of the pur-
chase Of as many new locomotives.
Any program aimed to increase the
particular interest at this time.
'"rhe advisory committee of the
Association of Railway Executives, of
which Mr.. Daniel Willard is chair
man. has set for it's goal in the i'm
hrovsment Of transportation service
II. An average daily minimum
movement of freight cars of not less
than thirty miles per day.
-. An average loading Of thirty
tona per car.
/ .. Reduction of bad order cars to a
MAXIMUM Of per cent of total
n. An early and substantial reduc-
ton in the number of locomotives
now unfit for service.
rs. More effective efforts to bring
about the return Of cars to the owner
roads.
'.rhe fourth item is the all-impor-
tant one. Modern locomotive termi-
nails and repair shops alone can re-
duoe the number of bad order engines.
tIn spite of insufficient facilities for
the proper care of their motive power
the railroads have been able to make
considerable progress. With modern
roundhouses, coaling stations and shops,
they opuld deliyer the kind Of trans
nnrtation that would quickly re-
establish them as going, money-mak-
ing concerns worthy of the old-time
confidence and support of. the Amer1-
can public"