The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-01-24
HINES PREDICTS
A GAR SHORTAGE
Asks for Cooperation to
Take Care of the
Situation.
INV AssocIatcd Pressl

10y AfSpCldIEo ETeSSl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-Warning
of a car shortage during the next two
months was issued to shippers today
by Director General Hines, OF khe
Railroad administration, with re-
quest for continued cooperation to
make the best of the situation.
The Director General pledges tho
Railroad administration to make every
effort to meet the condition and points
out what he characterizes as the limi-
tations with which II will have to deal.
General industrial activity, the set
back which transportation suffered
during the coal strike and the fact
that the railroad administration, fac
ing an early return Of the roads to
private owners may not buy addition
al freight cars are the principal ele-
ments in the problem, the Director
General says:
ITO make this inadequate amount
Of, equipment go as far as possible"
says the Director General, "the Rail-
road administration has pooled equip
ment in order to equalize the supply
as far as possible and give all ship
pers as equal treatment as possible
under the circumstances; has made
use Of the permit system in order to
avoid accumulations; has appointed
special terminal committees to speed
up the movement of freight through
terminals where great deal OF delay
has occurred in the past; during the
prevalence of difficult situations in the
wheat-growing territory has given
preference to the loading of wheat on
ktn hoC
ator car supply of the country under
one agency to get the maximum util-
ity out OF all such cars available; has
carried on a constant campaign to
bring about heavier loading of equip
ment during the prevalence OF the
greatest need for the movement OF
coal and at the present time has given
coal preference for loading in open
top equipment; has eliminated cir
cuitous. routes as far as practicable:
has transformed locomotives at Diff
ferent times to the portions OF the
country where they were needed the
most; and has given special atten-
ton through centralized agencies to
take care of. seasonal requirements
and meet peculiar conditions which
have resulted from bad weather and
certain drought conditions, and in
every way has tried to the very ut
most to make the equipment and loco
motives available do the greatest pos
sible amount Of service.
"By reason of these expedients OF
unification the railroads were enabled
in the fall of 1919 to handle an excep-
tionally large business under excep-
tionally difficult conditions. The
postponement OF buying in the spring
concentrated an extraordinary de-
mand for commodities In the fall. For
example, there was an exceptionally
small output of coal in the first six
months of the year and a consequent
intense demand for coal in the fall.
Beginning with a movement OF H.
100000 tons Of coal per week early in
September, the railroads built up this
movement to over 100000 tons in
the week ending October 25,. making
an average weekly movement largely
in excess OF any pre-war movement.
At the very time when the demands
Of business OF all sorts were becom-
ing most pressing, the necessity arose
for moving the wheat crop. From
July 6 to December 2e, rs per cent.
of the wheat crop was moved from the
farms; the volume moved was 645,-