Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-03
RAIL CONGESTION
MAY BLOCK RELIEF
IN HOUSE PROBLEM
Abnormal Transportation OF
Coal for Export Blamed
for Big Tie-Up.

Preliminary Investigations by the
special Senate committee on recon-
struction are developing the fact that
the lack of transportation facilities
may postpone any relief for the hous-
ing shortage during the present year
This was announced today by Frank
lin T. Miller, assistant to the commit
tee
According to this statement. the
present coal shortage. which is the
cause of the recent freight embar-
goes, is due in part to the abnormal
expectation of coal during the nrsl
six months of the present year Also,
1t has been found. coastwise shipments
are inadequate to relieve the railroad
congestion. Erie canal shipments are
impracticable at the present time, IL
is said.
Material Accommodates Mt Plants.
Senator William NJ. Calder of New
York chairman of the Senate commit
tee in a letter dated June 4. 10 the
Interstate Commerce COMMISSION
drew their attention to the lnaoility
of manufacturers of building mate
falls to obtain fuel for the manuIac-
ture or transportation for the oeilN
cry of their product. During the past
spring shipments of building mate
rails of manufacturers have been es-
capacity of the plants Large quaint
ties of building materials are no"
accommodating at the plants, out are
unavailable for construction pur-
poses.
The condition of the building indus
try has become so much more serious
since the issuance by the Interstate
Commerce Commission of Its receHl
orders for the redistribution OF empty
cars and for the ALLEGATION OF cars IoI
the following telegram to the coihiiiis
.aThere is now before your body an
appIication filed by the SAND ana
gravel interests, requesting
sion for the building industry TO APP
near before your commission ana pre-
sent facts concerning the serious con
ditions now confronting the bulldlns
industry of the country, as result u
recent car service orders, Which
amount to an embargo on the trdns
portation of building materials.
LAS chairman of the Senate speclai
committee on reconstruction ana pro.
duction, / respectfully request that All
branches of the building lnous 70
given an opportunity to present 10
your commission facts as to the IN
evitable results of continuance III
operation of the recent car service
orders Preliminary Investigations
made by experts of Senate committee
try is in a critical conditions because
of lack of housing and general con-
otruction-"
Hearing Promised Soon.
1t is understood that on June 80
Senator Calder followed up his tele-
gram with a personal visit to several
of the members of the Interstate
Commerce Commission in Washing
received assurance from
them that manufacturers of build
ing materials will be given nearing
as soon as the subject can be reached
by the commission
During recent interview. Senator
Calder stated that the Senate commit
tee on reconstruction was especially
interested in stimulating construction
work of all kinds. including housing.
The committee is alive TO the Iact
that relief of the present housing
conditions must come about through
construction work started during
July, August or September and that
IL the freight embargo against build
ing materials persists relief for the
congested district will not be achleved
during the present year. There are
no statistics available as to construc-
ton activities during the month OF
June but it is reported that construc-
tion has already fallen off 10 per cent
during the month of May as compared
with the preceding two months and
that the amount of residential con-
etruction during the first five months
of this year has been IS per cent less
than the first five months or last
year.
In an effort to avert possible
housing panic in the fall by imme-
date, though informal, action. the
chairman of the Senate committee on
reconstruction has had several con-
ferences during the past week with
prominent railroad executives ana
transportation experts and has re-
ceived assurances of cooperation on
ahe part of railroad officials
Coal Shortage Blamed.
The transportation shortage seems
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 during
the first six months of the present
year, which has exceeded the exporta-
zion during any corresponding period
On the nations history. even surpass-