The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-11-29
FIVE MILLION
ELEVATOR TO
HELP FARMERS
Minnesota Railroad Commits
sioner Declares Philadelphia.
Terminal Will Be Aid

st. Paul, Mimi, Nov. 29.-The s.
100000 bushel grain elevator under
construction at Philadelphia, and the
| proposed erection Of 20,00000O bushel
materially benefit farmers and other
grain men of the Northwest in remov-
ing the car shortage menace, caused
by congestion at the tidewater
! terminals, according to O. p. B. ia
cobson, railroad and warehouse COM
missioner, who has just returned
from an eastern trip.
For many years, Mr.. Jacobson eX-
planned, the Northwest has been
greatly hampered in moving grain,
rIour and other grain products
through outlets upon the Atlantic
seabord. The completion of these two
enormous elevators, according to the
commissioner, this blockading OF
grain and other shipments will be
expedited. -. .9,v. -~res. -s,,.. rep ,.,
EnIarge Facilities =.
! The action taken at New York and
Philadelphia and the movement for
similar action at other ports to en-
large the facilities for storing and
handling grain and flour may be at
trlbuted directly to the persistent agi.
tatiOn OF the Minnesota Railroad and
Warehouse commission, backed by tha
Minnesota legislature the farmers of
Minnesota and the grain interests
generally, Mr.. jacobson said.
The railroad and warehouse COM
mission for years had contended that
the principal ports on the Atlantic
coast from Portland, Maine, to Nor
folk, Virginia, with a total elevator
capacity of only 2l,OOO,0OO bushels,
less than half that of either Chicago
or Minneapolis, were in no position
to handle the grain and flour from the
West during periods of maximum
freight movements.
Car Famine
This fact, Mr.. Jacobson said, was
brought to the attention of the public
in 1916, when the car famine" was
most acute and eventually paralyZed
the entire transportation system of
the country. An investigation by the
commission was made at that time,
and it was found that thousands of
freight cars loaded with grain had
been held for months in the railway
yards of New York and Philadelphia
However, the grain could not be un-
loaded, because Of the lack of storage
facilities, and as a consequence the
railway yards became c0ngested with
freight cars which stopped trans
portation in the west, where elevators
were filled to the bursting point.
The result Of this investigation was
reported to the National Association
Of Railway and Utilities commission.
ers by Mr.. Jacobson, who argued that
if the grain cars would be unloade'l
promptly on arrival at tidewater and
returned at once for transportation
purposes instead Of being held for
months at time for storage facili
ties, there would be little or no fear
Of car famine.
Mr.. Jacobson at that time urged
that the city or state Of New York
should take an initiative in the mat
ter, of building storage facilities for
this surplus grain and flour, but this
suggestion was pronounced as so
Elallstic' by Commissioner }. O. Carr
Of New York. Nevertheless, the Ma
tional Association memoralized Con-
gress either to provide the necessary
facilities at the port terminals or to
compel the railways TO do so. At the
request of the Minnesota commission,
Senator knute Nelson and Congress-
man Sidney Anderson introduced in
Congress identical bills designed to
provide such facilities.