Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-07-30
FRIDAY, JULY 30. 1920
CAR SHORTAGE AND OTHER
SHORTAGE

Some time ago the News made the
statement that the car shortage was
not explained by any of the "expiana
tions" which had been given: that
there was "colored gentleman in the
woodpilc". Later developments seem
to bear out that statement.
One of the stock arguments advanc-
ed by the railroads is the shortage
of labor and the general inefficiency
of all labor at the present time. Yet
On the face of that statement many
roads are discouraging thousands Of
employees and labor in other lines
is producing far more than the roads
are able to handle. The labor short.
age is largely myth as is also the
}essened efficiency labor is magni-
fled out of reason. In certain lines at
certain times and in restricted locali-
ties either or both of those conditions
may exhist, but as general statements
they are untrue. Production, except
where artificially restricted, is up to
Of above the prewar average. This
has been brought about by greater
use of labor-saving machinery and
better methods induced by the actual
labor shortage and the necessity of
greater production during the war. In
adequate or inefficient labor is not
sufficient to explain the present car
shortage. There have been car short
ages before but they have been, as
a general thing. confined to some par
ticular district, and have been of
short duration. The present short
age is of nationwide extent, has been
acute for long time and shows no
signs of betterment.
That the before referred to colorcd
gentleman exists is evidently the opin-
ion of the Oklahoma Corporation Com
mission or it would not have preemp-
torliy ordered the roads to furnish
cars, as it did short time ago. 1t
can he stated with almost the certain
ty of demonstrated fact that the
real reason or reasons for the pro-
longed and pronounced shortage has
not been revealed. 1t is likely that
there is more than one reason, hut it
is probable that there is one great
underlying first cause for it and that
price control is the animating motive
The outcome unless the condition be
remcdicd, will be the curtailmrnt of
production, for if the products of in
ductry cannot be gotten to the con-
summer, production must slow down
ty,,
age of production will cause unem-
ployment of labor and labor, bidding
against itself. will lower wages to the
starvation point. The small supply
Of commodities within reach of the
consummer will keep the prices up
and a consumation devoutly wished
for by the minority who do not live
strictly by labor will have been achiev-
ed-lower wages without lower prices
or any decrease of profits.
1t is possible that the result aimed
at will be achieved, but it is not pro-
bable. The American people, as a
whole, are too intelligent to be fooled
for very long at time, but it is very
necessary that searching investiga-
tion. either official or unofficial. pre-
ferably the latter, he instituted before
the damage is done and that the public
be given the facts.
As side-light on the ear shortage
it is illuminating in slight degree
to know that within the last few
months four thousand six hundred
freight cars have been shipped to
Poland by the Army Division of Sales