Arizona republican., 1920-05-20
GOAL AND GRAIN DEALERS DEMAND
 .CAR PREFERENCE
Industries Engage in Wild
 Scramble for Preferential
 Treatment at Hands of the Interstate Commerce Commission Expect Moves to Break Jam Soon
[RepubIlean A. p. Leased WIrel


 WASHINGTON, May 19.-A wild scramble among individual lines of in dustry for preferential treatment in car movement developed today as the in terstate commerce commission gave in dication of reaching definite conclu- sions on plans to break the freight blockade.
 There was cIamor for cars and for priority orders by grain @-<d coal dealers. The American Gamers asso- citation protested that unless it's ship ments were moved ahead there would be heavy loses in certain eastern dis tricts.
 By letter, telegram and personal rep resentation, the commission, the Amer ican Railroad associations car service committee and railroad executives here were apprised of the urgent needs of almost every line of trade
 Suggest Relocating of Cars
 A committee of the executives rec commended to the commission that it order the transfer of 10000 box cars from the Atlantic seaboard to lines west of Chicago and the relocation of SO,0OO coal cars now west of the Missis- slppi river to areas in the freight con- gested district in the east. This should De done within the next few days if a direct benefit was to be accomplished, the road heads believed
 Members Of the dichigan congress slonal delegation. together with repre- sentatives of Michigan public utilities, appealed to the commission for con slHeration in the movement of coal to that territory. A pressing need for fuel was declared to exist throughout the state and they urged the commission 10 clamp down on the misuse of open top equipment'' so that it would be available for transportation of coal.
 Talk Shortage in Grain Sections
 At the conference called by Director Barnes of the grain corporation. com plalnIs about the car supply in the grain producing sections of the middle west was the principal topic of dis cusSlon- There were assertions that even when cars were supplied, less than zO per cent Of them were 'fit for load ing. Presidents of several railroads answered these charges that the task of restoring equipment to a serviceable basis was one almost beyond human comprehension and that the rail lines were doing their utmost in repairing and making cars ready to meet the forthcoming heavy grain movement.
 Mr- Barnes said that wheat ship ments after June 1 should be given priority since adequate and immediate movement of the grain underlav stable
 
 den, president of the Chicago, Burling- ton &s Quincy railroad and a member of the executive committee, said the roads could not possibly furnish 100 per cent car supply because much of the rolling stock had not been kept in condition during the war.
 While the railroad executives were pressing for new cars and locomotives senate and house leaders decided def initely against other appropriations to enable the roads to buy additional equipment Leaders said congress would content itself at this time by ex- tending from to 15 years the period in which the roads might repay loans made under the transportation act.
 With respect to the movement of box cars westward and the counter trans fer of coal equipment eastward, the commission said it would study details of the suggested orders and reach a de- cision speedily.
 Despite all efforts. reports continued to come that scores of industries either have closed or face shutdowns within short time because of the freight jam