Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1920-05-20
GOVERNMENT To
TAKE RAILROADS
Lines Are Tied UP and Ask U. S.
Control.
TO REVIVE FREIGHT POOL
Executives, Seeing Breakdown Near,
Appeal to Interstate Commerce
Commission for ReIief-Urge
Wartime Management.

Washington, May 1.-THE rail-
roads have asked the interstate com
merce commission to take over super
vision of traffic in order to relieve the
car shortage.
In petition filed by the Association
of Railway Executives the commission
is urged to assume, under authority
granted in the emergency section of
the transportation act, control Of the
transportation Of food, fuel and other
vital commodities by exercise of the
priority system.
In reality this is plea to the COM
mission to pool the freight traffic of
the country, as was done by the rail
road administration.
1t is believed the interstate COM
merce commission had been cOntem-
plating this action. The commission,
replying to the petition, said:
'The interstate commerce commits
sion is proceeding toward the effective
exercise of the powers and duties cast
upon it in such emergencies to afford
such relief as may be possible lin the
present situation"
Commenting on the railroads ap-
peal, Thomas De Witt CuyleT, chair
man of the Association Of Railway
Executives, sad:
Car Shortage Menacing.
"There exists today a menacing
shortage of cars and Transportation
due to restricted building of equip
ment during the war, to the unusual
degree of equipment requiring repair,
to the wide dispersion of equipment
during the period Of federal control,
to the heavy traffic in all kinds of
commodities, and all of these elements
greatly complicated and emphasized
by the recent switchmen's strike. In
the opinion of the railroad companies
the situation is such as to warrant and
require emergency action similar to
that taken when this country entered
the war.
"Without the exercise by the inter-
state commerce commission Of its
emergency powers the railroad COM
panieS themselves are not able to af-
ford the relief necessary because they
are subject to general laws, federal
and state governing transportation
and cannot legally prefer traffic except
under very limited conditions, nor dis
criminate between shippers, sections
of the country, or commodities. The
unauthorized switchmen's strike, add
ed to the general scarcity of labor, re-
duced available operating forces so
that all of the transportation needed,
including the movement of empty cars,
cannot now be supplied. AS result
the fuel apd food situation is assum-
ing threatening proportions, increasing
the cost of living and affecting the
banking and credit conditions through
out the country in manner requiring
immediate relief.
"Must Pool Traffic"
"The emergency powers referred to
are granted to the interstate COM
merce commission by section 4O2 Of
the transportation act. These powers
must be exercised in order to estab-
lish necessary legal preference and
priority in the movement of food, fuel
and other vital commodities essential
under present conditions. They are
also required to secure the movement
between designated railroads of empty
grain, refrigerator, open top, and other
cars needed to accomplish the move
ment of the particular commodities
which they are designed to transport"