The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-21
Interstate Commerce Commis.
sion Takes Charge Of Rout-
ing and Redistribution
of Equipment.
LONG TRAINS OF EMPTIEs
Fifty Thousand Cars to be Moved
Within Thirty Days to Coal and
Grain Shipping
Points.

United Press Leased Wire Service.
WASHINGTON, May 21.-As a step
to permanently relieve car shortage,
which threatens to disrupt transpor-
tation, the interstate commerce COM
mission has decided that S125, ,C00,O0O
iof the $300,000,0OO revolving fund,
provided by the Esch-C -Cummins law,
be made available quickly for pur-
chase of railroad rolling stock.
! The interstate commerce commits
sion today took charge Of the rout-
ing and the redistribution of the rail-
roads freight carrying equipment in
an effort to end the car congestion
which was endangering food ship
aents and threatening a break of the
nations transportation system.
This was done at the, request of
the railroad executives.
Acting under authority of the Esch
Cummins law, the commission order
ed the roads to deliver freight By
the quickest and shortest routes
In carrying out the request of the
executives, the commission issued n
number OF orders, for each of the
lines, directing the roads to deliver
"a certain number of cars at specified
points daily. AS these instructions
are carried out, the congestion gradu
ally will be relieved and car short
ages ended, commission members be-
ilieyed --.--a-....
Long trains of empty cars today
are being rushed across the country
ito localities where they are needed
to load coal and grain. ...-,.-
Automobiles and luxury commodi-
ties are left waiting in the freight
yards.
Movement of fifty thousand empties
is planned within thirty days.
Approximately twenty thousand are
box cars routed from eastern states
to the western grain regions,
The grain movement begins in the
southwest June :15. Approximately
twenty thousand box cars must be
stored in southwestern terminals be.
fore that date. July Is grain will
be ready for movement in Kansas and
the central western states. The
northwestern grain movement viii
begin September IS.
Thirty thousand open top cars are
being hurried to the coar regions TO
increase production of bituminoys
fuel Production for nearly month
has run short more than one million
tons a week, according to reports 10
the United States geological survey.
This announcement was made by
the commerce commission today
while it's orders for rerouting Of
freight cars to break up the conges-
ton were being put Into effect.
In taking this action the commits
sion accented the recommendations
of The Association of Railway Execu-
tiyes. recently made, that sl25,0OO,-
600 be set aside for purchase OF roll
ing stock.
"rhe minimum needs" said the
commissions statement, "are 2,00d
locomotives and 100000 freight cars,
including 10000 refrigerator cars.
Some of this equipment is already
being constructed. or has been con-
tracted for. but s125,00O,000 is prob
ably less than 20 per cent OF the
cost of the remainder, which has not
been ordered. --s
aft is evident that the equipment
required properly to meet the trans
nortation needs Of the public cannot
he secured unless the carriers, with
the aid ot.the 25 per cent to be adj
vanced by the government, them
selves assume the burden of financ-
ing the remaining 70 per cent"
The commission stated it will not
follow any arbitrary method in allo-
eating the fund.
The commission suggested that the
fund could be administered best
through a national equipment corpo-
ration. in which the carriers could
take stock for % per cent of the cost
of the equipment. the United States
furnishing the cash for the stock up
tn st5.000,000 and the remaining rs
(Ccntinued on page 2.)