Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-21
GOVERNMENT WILD
DIRECT RAILWAYS
IN PRESENT CRISIS
Emergency Orders Place
All Carriers in One
Gigantic System. s
MUST MOVE CARS WITH
NO REGARD TO OWNERSHIP
All Normal Regulations Swept
Aside by Interstate Com
merce Commission.
100000 CARS BLOCK ROADS
Freight Will Be Rcroutcd Over
Short Lines to Relieve Main
Arteries.
100000 CARS BLOCK ROADS
Freight Will Be Rcroutcd Over
Short Lines to Relieve Main y
Arteries.
IBy Universal snrplce1

tBy Universal ScrvlceJ
WASHINGTON. May Gothic In.
terstate Commerce Commission to-
night issued three emergency orders.
to stand until the traffic crisis is
past, which will have tho effect OF
centralizing control OF the railroads
with the government
Tho full force Of the commissions
sweeping powers to divert traffic and
relocate rolling stock is carried In
the orders. All rules and regulations
governing normal movement OF
freight are suspended. and in their
place 1t is ordered that:
Until the further order or direc-
ton of this commission. all said
common carriers by railroad are
hereby directed to forward traffic to
destination oy the routes most avail 4
able to expedite it's movement and
reiieVe said congestion, without re-
gard to the routing thereof made
oy shippers or by carriers from which
the traffic is received, or to the
ownership OF tho cars. and that all
rules. regulations and practices with
respect to car service are hereby sus.
pended and superseded In so far only
MS conflicting with the directions
made"
Order Will Relieve Trunk Lines.
This drastic order will have tho
eHect OF relieving congestion on the
main transportation systems east and
west by utilizing the smaller and
less blocked railroads.
Ihe commission supplemented thi.
order. which Is believed to ba the
vital move necessary to break ths
congestion. by the Issuance OF tho
Following rules aiming tho omar.
alton of the order:
1t is ordered that inasmuch 40
such disregard OF routing Is deemed
to be due to carriers disability. the
rates applicable TO traffic so forward.
ed by routes other than those des,r.
mated by shippers o. by carriers from,
which the trattic Is received. shall
oe the rates wilca were applicable
at date OF shipmen. over the routes
designated.
IL Is further ordered that In each
instance where the traffic Is routed
or rerouted, by carriers by railroad
under the authority of this order.
the carrier responsible for such ropt.
ing, or rerout!ng, shall within twen.
S-tour hours thereafter derosit in
The United States mail a no.,c. ad.
dressed to the consignee OF tbe
traffic, stating the car numbers and
initials, places ard dates OF shin
ment. the routing and respective
routes over which the traffic Is NOV
Ing and that charges for the trims.
portation OF the traffic. IncludIn..
transportation and schedule of rate,
fares and charges. as those terms are
defined in said act, will be the sam.
as they would have been II such rout-
ihg' or rerouting. had not taken
place"
To Relieve Main Artertex.
IN ADDITION to this order the com.
mission issued two other service or
ders specifically directed to certain
railroads, instructinE the contrtbu.
tion each must MAKE in the reloca-
ton OF approximately $4,000 cars.
The combined effect of the threa
orders will be:
l. Freight OF every description will
De moved on connecting or supple.
mental roads to the main transnors
tation arteries, relieving the enorm.
Gus strain in the latter. and releas-
ing heavy shipments tied up.
:. Distribute the surplus of rolling
equipment on tho Eastern roads to.
wards the West, where inadeouate
equipment Is checking movement of
freight.
=. Release thousands OF cars for
hauling grain and COAL the lack of
which Is causing food shortage in
some sections and shutting down pub.
lie utilities.
Immediate orders for the move.
ment Of approximately 10000 box
cars from Eastern railroads to roads
from Chicago westward, are contain-
cd In the commissions sweeping i'm
structions tonight. At the sama
time, 1t is ordered that about 10000
open-top va.ss bo moved to the East.
ern roads from the Central West to
handle coal and raw materials.
Fourteen Eastern Roads AfYected.
The Eastern roads affected in to.
days orders. requiring contribu.
ton from each system averaging fifty
cans daily, are the following:
New York. New Haven and Hart.
ford; Boston and Albany: Long Is
land Railroad: New York, Ontario
and Western; Pennsylvania Rail-
road; Atlantic Coast Limo; Southern
Railroad; Seaboard Air Line; Wheel
ing and Lake Erie; Charleston end
Western Carolina; Atlanta and West
Point Railroad; Georgia Railroadt
Florida East Coast; Atlanta, Birm-
ingham and Atlantis.
The exact number of cars. with tho
date OF starting delivery and place
Of interchange. arc given In tho in-
These railroads are simultaneously
instructed to begin tho delivery OF
open-top cars to Eastern systems:
Atchlson. Topeka and Santa Ea1