The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-26
REASSEMBLING
 FREIGHT CARS
Condition of the Cars Said to Be In Very Bad
 State

Freight cars belonging to the rail- roads of this country are in w0E9a repair and are more widely scattered than at any time since January, 1918, when Federal control started, according to an article appearing in the current issue of American Rail roads, the official organ of the Asso- citation of Railway Executives
 Regarding the work which is now being carried on by the Commission on Car Service of the American Rail road Association, with the idea of re- assembling the scattered rolling stock, the article states:
 '"The Commission on Car Service, acting under an agreement signed by the various railroads to abide by and enforce the car service and per diem rules and authorizing the Commission on Car Service to act as it's agent in all car service matters, is making an effort to secure the return of special types of cars expediGouSly as is practicable in view of all the condi- tions but in order to meet emergen- cies it is invested with plenary pow CT to suspend or permit departures from the rules requiring the return of cars from one railroad or territory to another when necessary to meet traf- ic conditions. It is. also authorized to exempt when necessary cars of any type from the provisions of the rules and to provide other regulations under which such cars shall be handled and it is directed to cooper ate with the Interstate Commerce Commission in all car service matters. l sfNormadly, approximately 50 per cent of the freight cars are away l from home, but usually the bulk of them are on the lines of direct con nections, which are likely to use them 1 for a return load At the beginning l of Federal control, according to the l recent annual report of the Division 1 of Operation of the Railroad Admin l istration, A per cent of the freight 1 cars were on home lines. On Jan. | 1, 1919, this figure stood at 26.6 per | cent Special attempts were made in l the early part of 1919 to relocate | cars more in accordance with owner ! ship, with the idea of getting the
 cars to the home road so that ex- 1 tensive repairs and betteFment might 1 be completed, and also in part fecazNae i of the prospective return of the rs5I- | roads to private management
 By July 1, 1919, 31.7 per cent. of
 the cars were on home lines, but a l the present time the number of cars on home lines has again declined tt
 
 or approximately half of what ma!
 be considered the normal condition The other 75 per cent. of the car
 are scattered throughout all parts O
 the country.
 Exact information as to the pres
 ent condition of the equipment is no
 available because the roads have no
 seen many of their own cars for
 long time, and the entire subject is
 matter of dispute between the Fail
 road companies and the Railroad Ad
 ministration, which was obligated b
 it's contracts as well as by the Fedora
 Control Act to return the property o : the railroads in the condition i } which it was taken over or to pa 9 for any deficiency.
 During January of this year ou 2 of 2,453, ,227 freight cars On the line s of the railroads under Federal con
 trol 6.6 per cent. were reported a : unserviceable, as compared with 5. 5 per cent. during January, 1919, an, El ! 5.4 per cent. in January 1918. accord