Evening journal., 1920-06-02
TRANSPORTATION LONG Will BE nan

6sSEyHE transportation situation bad, is getting bet
ter, but the Improvement is small and slow, and no
substantial Improvement in IL be made for months
under any system Of management without hercuean ef
forts says the Railway Age in editorial IN its current
issue 1.-The foregoing statements may sound pessimsc,
but they the plain truth, and II there any problem
regarding which it imperative that the American people
should know the plain TRUTH II is tho railroad problem
Why is the present transportation situation so bad
before the railroad strikes came the traffic
offered substantially greater than the roads could
handle, and the strikes the amount Of business
they could move.
Although the results OF the railroad strikes have been
serious they have been exaggerated The reports
Geological Survey show that between January and May
The railways moved iI5iii0o0 tons Of bitumnous coal
This was 30 ~ mluon tons more san were moved dur
ing the period Of 1919 and only 100000 tons less
nan in period OF 1918. They moved 2773i-
600 tons Of anthracite during the same period an in
Of 100000 tons 1919 The existing shortage
Of coal is not primarily due 70 reduced transportation
caused by the recent railroad strikes TO the reduced
production and transportation of coal BY coal
strike in November and December With respect to lhe
general transportation situation The facts show that on
April the acrlmulations 81 cars awaiting movement
amounted TO 93Oi9 On April 2 after the strikes had been
going on for three weeks the accumulations had in
creased 70 269oe9 on May they had been reduced to
20t392
Why does the situation supernclally appmr ia be
better2 Because there is much freight available
nan the railways handle with their existing facilities
and forces that they may business every day
and yet day by day get farther behind the business de-
mandlng movement
There are just three things. the Ago says which win
help 70 avoid the disaster industrial financial which
Is uuaveidAbiA unless The railroad problem is solved
These things First frank recognition Of the fact tn at
under any system Of management government or private
the railways cannot be made for months years
satisfactorily 10 handle all the commerce OF the country
Second active cooperation between the Interstate Com
meroe Commission the shipping interests and the rail-
way managements to enable the railways during the
critical period passing through 10 handle all
the business with their existing facilities that is physically
practicable Third allowing the railways charge rates
which will enable them to raise or capital
to invest IN new facilities
Unless the railway companies given opportunity 20
earn adequate net returns the transportation conditions
which are now causing much trouble viii chronic
not merely temporary.
The conditions now prevailing were not unforeseen
Year after they have been predicted as the certain
results OF the governmental policies followed in dealing
with the railways
The Cofrnssion's decision in the rate case viii prn-
cipay determine how much freight ths railways viii be
able TO handle IN future months ysara II shippers and
bussDess geneBay would concern themselves ies.