Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-17
NATIONWIDE LACK
|. OF CARS REEVES
WARTIME CONTROL
Emergency Powers to Be
Used in Answer to An
peal of Roads.
NECESSITIES OF LIFE WILL
GET FIRST CONSIDERATION
Financial Straits Are Growing
Serious as Production Is
Halted.
CONGESTION COSTS MIL,,uoSs
Disregard of Hines Warning De.
ciared Cause Of Present
Situation.
NECESSITIES OF LIFE WILL
GET FIRST CONSIDERATION
CONGESTION COSTS MILLIONS
disregard Of Hines Warning De.
clarcd Cause OF Present
Situation.

WASHINGTON, May 1s.-W.r.,,,
regulation governing the opera,ion
o' al 'hc railroads of the country are
10 nc put into effect before tho e,d
OF INC week. At meeting TO be
mel" "ednesday between the railway
executives ard the Interstate Com
"ierce commission. the best means of
NiacinS the transportation systems
under temporary government control
arc to he discussed. lmmediately
thereafter the commission will mako
public Us plan. to which tho railway
executives already have pledged their
co operation. These facts were
learned today from a high official
OF the interstate Commerce Commits
sion.
Inc nationwide car shortage, re-
sustinS in threatening situation.
even 10 the extent OF transportation
oil food and fuel. has nado ccntral-
2ation OF railway management under
government control a vital and i'm
mediate necessity. Under tho new rail-
way law. the Interstate Commerce
Commission will this week put into
erect the following extreme control
measures made necessary by the car
shortage and requested by the rail-
roads themselves in petition re-
ccivcd by tho commission yesterday:
!. Priorities on shipments of neccs-
stiles
:. Export cmbarSoe.s to conserve
food and fuel.
B. Diversion OF traffic wherever
necessary.
4. Joint use OF terminals and in
tcrchanEe OF equipment.
May Curtnti Passenger Service. ~
In addition. 1t Is not unlikely that
the commission. in coping with the
situation, Will be compelled to cur
tail passenger traffic in order to ex-
pedito freight shipments.
Officials today refused to predict
how long q period of government
management would be required be-
fore the situation could 10 restored
TO normal and the railways again
resume indepcndcnt operations. 1t
is conceded. however, that the Inter-
state Commerce Commission Will
nave to exercise It's emergency DOW
er' for a considerable length of time
before normal conditions prevail.
The enormous volume OF freight traf-
ic which will he made necessary
shortly by the movement of crops and
of industrial raw materials probably
VIII continue the period OF sovern=
mcnt management to cover the entire
summer and fall
The building ot large amounts OF
new rolling stock. which will be the
rea! solution to tho problem, cannot
be consummatcd for many months. il
is conceded, even with tho use of tho
*Soooo0.o00 revolving fund appro-
priatcd by Congress- for this purpose,
The cause OF the present alarming
car shortage, affecting as it docs
the economic life OF tho nation. and
resulting in tho impending uso OF
drastic methods of control, can be
ATTRIBUTED largely TO tho short rt-Sight-
edness OF the railroad executives,
according to many officials
Hines Forcsnw Situation.
1t WAS recalled today that Walker
ID. Hines, formerly director general.
OF railroads, formally appeared be-
fore committee of Congress as lons
ago as February, 1919, and urged the
necessity of the immediate approrria--
'ion OF fund of $3.50. 900. 900 to build
new equipment.
MT. lines stressed the necessity
for constructing largo amounts OF
new rolling stock, and declared that
If the work wero not done, tho coun-
try would find itself confronted with
just tho situation which has now
arisen
The statements OF Mr.. Hines caused
storm of disapproval and protest
from many OF the railroad executives.
who appeared before congressional
committees to urge that Congress not
appropriate the sT5O.Ooo,000 for now
equipment, stating that such an as
sessment against the capital accounts
OF the railroads would be- IAN eco
nomic disaster"
Congress saw fit at the time to
take the opinion OF the railway ex-
ccutives. instead OF listening to pi- -
rector-General Hines and refused the 4
application. This directly brought
about the present situation.
Confronted with the inability inn
modiate!y to build tho necessary roll
linS stock TO handle tho nations
transportation business. tho Inter-
state Commerce Commission will put
into effect this week. practically all
the efficiency measures by means OF :,
which the country Was able to play
its great part in winning tho war
and at tho same timo continue al.
most normal industrial conditions,
Many Dangers In Sltuation.
Appeals OF tho railroads for help
have brought to light new dangers in q
tho situation. Developments in the
last twenty-four hours showed tina.
decidedly menacing condition con-
fronted tho commercial world through
lContinued on Second pa reTl 49, Z.