The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-27
Our Critical Freight Situation.

If ever there was a time when trans
portation conditions imperatively de-
manded that shippers and receivers OF
freight should, for their own interest,
and even their own salvation, cooper
ate to the utmost with the railways in
securing the most efficient possible use
of railroad facilities that time is now.
Almost the only possible. way IN
which the amount of freight the rail-
roads can haul can be Immediately m
creased is by securing the movement oil
every ton of freight possible with every
car that is available. The amount OF
freight that can be moved with exist
ing facilities is absolutely dependent
upon how much freight can be loaded
into every car, and how many miles a
dav every car can be made to travel.
The number of miles per day that
each car can be made to travel is main
" dependent upon the efficiency with
which the railway arrangements and
employees do their work. IL Is also
largely dependent, however, upon the
promptness and CELEBRITY with which
every shipper loads cars and every re-
ceiyer of freight unloads them. As to
the heavy loading Of cars, that Is a
matter which is mainly in the hands
of the shippers. The only way the
railways could force heavier loading Of
cars would be by a general advance in
minimum carload weights, and while
probably there should be such an ad-
vance made. il would meet with oppo-
sition and might do injustice to many
shippers,
The most effective thing the shippers
could do to help themselves, and help
the industry and people Of the United
/ States in the present emergency, would
be for every individual shipper re-
gardlcss of minimum carload weights,
TO follow the policy Of loading every
car with every pound Of freight that
/ it could carry. The average capacity
Of the freight cars of this country eN
cceds 40 tons The average tons loaded
per car at present is only about p
| tons. IT should be easily practicable q
| increase this average loading TO or u
DER cent. The effect would be to make
| h practicable for the railways TO han
die 10 or IS per cent more freight bust.
ness than they otherwise would be able
to. Surely. il must be plain to tbs
business interests Of the country that
their own welfare, il not their actua
economic salvation, is dependent upon
an increase in the amount Of freight
moved.
Some shippers organizations arr
carrying on an agitation among then
members TO influence them To increas'
the loading of cars. The manutaetur
ers Of Portland cement and Of stee
have long been among the leaders "
promoting heavy loading The Amer
ican Newspaper Publishers association
recently has been circularizing H.
members. urging them to unload car
a. promptly a. possible. Such agita
ton ought TO be carried on by ever!
orpauization Of industrial concerns u
the country. The railways are doing
good deal Of this kind Of work and ar
going to do more. but uniformed o
preiudiced people are likely to thinl
that they are doing it for their owl
selfish interest. aud therefore TO be les
responsible TO appeals from the road
than to appeals from organizations Q
concerns Of their own class.
Even II normal conditions with Z
spect 20 the handling II freight tram
existed il would be impossible for IN
railways. with their present facilities
~ handle al the business that woui
b i. offered TO them. The conditions
, however. have been rendered eNtremel
abnormal by certain recent develoT
ments the most important ~ who
have been the coal strike and the q
: cent railroad strikes in all parts u q
country.
Business men and the general pub
oueht 10 he made to understand TIA
I thr present transportation situation
livery critical. and Is likely 10 becom
desperate unless every individual co'
efrn cantributcs al possible toward n
= lisrinr st.-Frum the Railway A41.