El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-22
A SIMPLE REMEDY FOR CAR
Is WITHIN REACH

YEAR after the ar7uistce, France had more railroad
"A freight and locomotives than she had before the
war; this the immense number which Germany
required to surrender, and to the large contributions
By the United States and Great Britain to rolling stock in
France
Notwithstanding the actual increase Of rolling stock,
the great decrease IN commercial traffic demand in the
aggregate to goods in France, there constant
complaint Of lack Of cars and lac Of serce 1000 and tuei
shortage eoneously laid to lack Of cars business held
up its hands and swore at the government
Meanwhile by the tens Of thousands lay idle at
This Of the most striking aspects Of France TO
every traveller that the whole railroad system was gued
Nobody seemed able to move cars, loaded OF empty.
Nobody seemed to know straight up There car
tracing system loaded car would leave seaport for
town 50 miles away and not be heard OF Tor two months
Food and fuel shipments to Paris reported four months
oVeEdue-an within country smaller than Texas.
France better supplied with rolling stock than any
other country Europe and yet she made noise
about her imaginary troubles than all The rest Of Europe
put together.
Frances messed I'd condition Of traffic was in strong
contrast to the clean yards and sdngs and terminals IN
England, Belgium, Holland and Spain With less to do
WITH these countries had applied business methods and kept
business moving With the lack OF system prevailing n
France Paris would save to death with years provisions
100 miles away
The United States with 100000 freight cars howl
ing about shortage everywhere In every line Of bush
complaint s heard that shipments months overdue
and production held up for lack Of cars to move the product
IF orders bulky freight from distance it is nothing
unusual to be informed that it VIII take three to nine
months for delivery and shortage is blamed much
The sshe is largely due TO the failure to the cars
economically It is estimated that freight actually
moving only day out Of every II days idle ten days
for every that they rolling It takes the average
day and quarter to load and day and quarter to
load This leaves according to government railway sta
tics 7z days out Of every II days, during which the
average is performing service, but is standing idle
being repaired switched delayed without any
Szysght percent Of the time Is waste, mostly waste
It is figured that if every could be unoaded one
hour earlier IN hour less time than now the service
Of 10000 cars would be released to the public.
This simple Illustration Of how effective cooperation
IN putting small savings into bring about great
industrial economies and benefit the entire public
There Is scarcely business in the United States
perfectly organised but what it hour each
loaded unloaded and thus help TO release 10000
for productive work
Such simple remedy nevertheless requires the coopera
ton Of lzborers foremen, workmen and railway
poyes everywhere vel Of employers and managers.
The cry is for empty freight The way to produce
emptes unload oargoes So the solution rests partly
hands Of congHees But would do little good to
unload the rapidly unless railway employees stir
themselves to take advantage Of every minute thus saved
and insure the quick shifting Of each tohe place where
It IS most needed
We have a better system tran France but sometimes
Americans let things gum up in seandaous way There