New-York tribune., 1920-05-11
wheels turning, The publics needs
cannot be met,

!
cannot be met.
With the closing of many mines in
Ohio and Pennsylvania added to car
congestion. even though practically all
railroads have lifted their embargos
against coal, the outlook was dark yes
terday.
Armour & Co.. announced yesterday
that freight conditions in their line
had improved considerably and that the
firm is now able to handle from SO to
20 per cent of it's normal business.
A large drygoods firm, with branches
in many cities and which both ships
and receives great quantities of goods
IN New York, announced yesterday that
its business is seriously affected. This
firm employed coastwise shipping to a
great extent before the coast
wise strike deprived it of that trans
TO rall transportation goods are piled
high ready for shipment and very little
is received
Merchants Hard Hit
A Brooklyn biscuit factory gave out
word yesterday that stores Of both coal
and flour are at the lowest ebb.
New York merchants were keeping
the telephones of freight departments
in many railroad Offices busy trying to
trace shipments of goods ordered long
ago. Very little hope of Immediate de-
livery was given any of them, the rail
roads contendlng that perishables and
coal come before dead" freight.
At one railroad Office an official ex-
plalned that There was very little ac-
tual shortage Of cars east of the Mis-
sissippi at this time The trouble, he
declared, Is that empty cars cannot be
handled in the railroad yards He at
tributed the cause to six months Of
stress which the railroads have la
bored under.
The railroads. which are firm in their
stand not to take back strikers except
as new employees, point to the latest
government bulletin issued by the De-
partment of the Interior in cxplana-
ton of the coal shortage and freight
tie-up This bulletin says:
The underlying cause of the short
age was the strike of the railroad ward
men and switchmen which affected to
a greater or less degree the yards at
Kansas City, St. Louis. Chicago, To-
ledo, Cleveland. Cincinnati, Columbus.
Youngstown, Pittsburgh h, Buffalo and
New York. The resultant congestion
has the double effect of blocking the
rails with trains loaded with coal and
of delaying the return Of empties to
the mines"
At Chicago. according to The Trib/
une's investigation, freight is piled
high along the belt lines which encircle
the city waiting to move through the
railroad yards.
The Illinois Manufacturers Associa-
ton, IN whose membership are hun
dreds of manufacturers, large and
small,, has announced that within ten
days industrial Chicago's wheels will
cease to turn unless something is done
Moving eastward the great industrial
and manufacturing triangle bounded at
its points by Buffalo, Cleveland and De-
troit, incloses an area in which the
transportation congestion is also hav-
ing dire influence on industrial life.
Pittsburgh Loss s57,000,0OO
Pittsburgh and it's great contiguous
industrial and mining area, reports re-
ceived in New York state, has suffered
q loss in wages and industrial trade,
estimated at more than $57 100000.
In the entire Pittsburgh district,
which includes western Pennsylvania,
eastern Ohio, northern West Vir-
ginia and a portion of Maryland,
closed or working short shifts, while
'0NNA y
ing waterways, are reported generally
suspended or working short hours.
Cleveland reports that the number
of striking yardsmen in that city and
in railroad yards which feed that in
dustrial and manufacturing center, is
greater than two weeks ago. The re-
suit is described as having more
serious traffic confusion than hereto
fore with very little hope of imme ediate
Improvement.
Mines in the vicinity, factories,
foundries and blast furnaces have, in
some instances, closed down completely
or curtaileG activity greatly, throwing
thousands temporarily out Of employ
ment
Forty-hve carrying ships operat-
ing on Lake Erie, employing about
l 900 lake seamen, were tied up at
lake docks unable to get fuel three
days ago. Packet freighters operating
'etween Cleveland and Detroit were