The Washington times., 1920-07-12


oily OF cars by coal for the purpose OF
relieving the coal need prevents the
steel mills from delivering oil pipe
and other materials which would in
crease oil production. The Standard
oil Company has seventeen tankers
under construction TO bring oil from
Mexico TO relieve the shortage, but
cannot complete them because the
steel mills. although they have made
the parts for the ships, cannot get
the cars to ship them out. the cars
being used for coal.
EVILS ALL ALONG LINE.
All down the line the situation is
reacting dangerously against itself.
The evils In Ihe situation interlock
and aggrsvste each other.
House and road building contract
ors all over the country are in dire
straits. They cannot get the ma.
teriaI to go ahead with their con-
tracts and consequently their equip
ment is idle. they are discharging
their gangs. creating an unenploy-
ment problem. and the banks and
bond houses which have been carry
ing the contractors are becoming
restive. Roads are going to pieces
under the pounding of the trucks and
dwellings and schoolhouses and hos
pitAls are not being built or re-
paired. In some cities scores OF
blocks of city streets are out OF use
because the materials to repair them
cannot be shipped.
The Federal Bureau OF Public Roads.
the States, the counties and cities OF
the country have this year a billion
dollars in cash TO spend on road i'm
proyement. This lis three times as
much as ever was available before In
any one year. Yet scarcely rod OF
road Is being built or repaired In the
country today because OF the car SIT
uation. The men billion dollars
would employ are idle; this vast sum
| Is being withheld from their pockets
and the beneft of their labor is being
withheld from the nation.
Descriptions Of the evils which eH-
lists as a result of this car situation
could be multiplied almost intermin-
ably. For instance, cotton picking
has begun in the South and yet both
, cotton and cottonseed viii be heId
back from consumption because the
cotton gins of the South have not
enough coal 10 start the separation
Of the nber from seed.
MANY REMEDIES SUGGESTED.
Many remedies have beep suggest
ed for the situation. The Inter
| state Commerce Compassion Is con-
! sidering all angles and within week
or ten days will issue some sort OF
order to relieve the sitaution. Prob
ably IL will extend the coal priority
order for thirty days, with modihca-
tions to permit some OF the open-top
cars to be used for other commodities
than coal. 1t probably will stop re-
| - al q =
| by coal brokers. Spectators, Ehmhl"
] in coal. keeping it out of use and
keep the cars in which 1T is stored
tied up.
The speeding up OF railroad service
| is regarded generally as the only
solution Of tho problem. This would
mean faster handling OF cars by the
| railroads and shorter periods OF de-
| tention OF shippers and receivers or
coal What is to be done in the way
of stopping shipments OF coal to
factories engaged In non-essentia
| manufacture will depend on whether
the situation becomes more or less
acute. When,it is considered that
the commission was told there is not
a car Of coal for sale East Of the
Mississippi river today. it would seem
that the situation cannot become
much more acute.
Back of tbe whole situation looomS
as n mcnacethe labor situation. 1T VS.
generally recognized, that the strikes
on the railroads are responsible for
the serious situation now existing
the high coal prices. the danger of
acute hardship and business suspcn-
sion next winter. There is some cN-
pectation that of the Railroad Labor
Board grants the railroad workers
the billion dollar wage increase they
are hoping for this month, railroad
morale will be improved for "A few
weoks and enough hustle can be
worked up to relieve the present
| danger.
What moral this story points in
connection with renewed Government
operation of the railroads can be dis
covered by the reader, each according
| to his temperament.