The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-31

In a statement made by Walker D. Hines, Director General of Railroads, ne shows the difficulties under which the railroads of the country have been operated during the past year on account of the conditions following the close of the war and the coal strike last fall and explains the in tention of the Administration to con- tinue to give the best service possible until the government control comes to an end.
 Indications are that the demand for transportation during the remainder of January and February will be ex- traordinariIy heavy for this season of the year and take this means, first, of giving assurance that the Railroad Administration proposes Gntn the last day of Federal control to make every effort to meet this e ~2ord- mary demand as fully as possible and, second, of pointing out some of the limitations which are operative now and which will continue to be for some time to come upon the perform ance of full transportation service.
 For the week ended January 3, 1920, the number of cars Of revenue freight show an increase of 162,223 cars over the same week of 1919, ard an increase of 216 9s9 cars over the same week of 1918. There is promise of even greater increase as the winter progresses.
 e This increased demand is doubtless due largely to the fact that as a result of the cessation of industrial activity following the signing of the armistice business was in abeyance in the spring Of 1919, was indi- cated by the fact that there were large surpluses of cars in all parts of the United States laying idle during those months. Business was again 1nterfered with by abnormal difficult ties, due to the coal strike in Novem- Der and December. but since then the accun ulated business has been de- manding transportation with a rush.
 The equipment available, despite the great use to which 1t has been put, is in practically normal condition at the present time and has been con stantly improved since the shopmen' s strike in August, 1919, which ma terially interfered with repairs.
 In the three years preceding Fed eraI control the average number of freight cars acquired per year Gn- cluding equipment rebuilt at company shops) was 97,158, and after allow ing for retirementS the net average addition was only 9,627 cars per year. During the two years of Federal con- tro1 the average number of freight cars acquired per year will be &p- proximately 84,500, and after allow ing for retirements the net average addition will be not greatly in excess of the average net additions during the preceding three years. During these two years no freight cars could be acquired in addition to cars ordere Iy,{ [I41i 1 no Federal control, except a total of 1O0,- freight cars all of which are in- cluded in the average per year abova stated for the two years of Federal control. The 100000 cars were or dered in 1918 and represented the maximum for which material and la Dor could be obtair"d, in view of the demands for other war necessities. It was impracticable in this order to provide for any additional refriger- ator, stock, or flat ars, and thee Is an especially serious shortage in these classes of equipment. No freight cars could be ordered in 1919. This was due to the clearly understood policy of Congress in favor of the early re- turn of the railroads to private own ership and because of the resulting lack of appropriations to be used fol new capital expenditures.
 In February, 1919, I recOmme ended a definite extension of Federal con. trol, and gave as one of the important reasons the fact that it would admi of entering at once upon an eEten, sive program for increasing tho equipment and improvirg the termi nal and other facilities cr the rail roads to take care of fhe growins business of the country. This view was not acted upon, and no program for acquiring important amounts q additional equipment has yet been ell tered upon. In October, 1919, 7 point ed out the pressing needs of the sit uation to the chairman of the con gressional committees, and the mat ter has been specifically brought t. the attention of the railroad com panie9
 But the Railroad AdministratioI has not at any time been, and O course is not now, in position to ob tain the additional new equipmen