Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-07-26

be said that the best adyices received
lat Washington Indicate that the major
ity of products needed in the country
are still far behind in the sense Of
manufacturing. Agricultural produc-
ton is from Is TO 20 per cent below
last year, but there will be plenty to
eat.
On the whole, public assets and liza
bilities show Il healthy and improved
normal condition, but the reimbursement
and redistribution of individual effort
and markets, incident to peace times
are still going on. The country shows
a disposition to get rid Of the froth on
the top of the industrial bowl. And
as it is being blown away pretty sub
stantial condition in our economic be-
verage is being found. Evidently we
are gradually getting back to our old
gait. whicl, was interrupted with a lot
of hop, skip and jump for two or three
years.
Need for Cooperation.
Daniel Willard is frequently referred
to as the Jim Hill Of the east" Hill,
the empire builder, and the greatest OF
western railroad men, many years ago
prophesicd that the terminal facilities
in great cities would soon be out
grown. and his warnings have proved
to be correct Mr.. Willard was IA pill
lar of strength to the United States
government when the war made 1t
necessary TO pool the interests anu
facilities of the country's railroads.
There have, perhaps, been few rail
road men whose opinions have carried
greater weight than his. His tcsti-
mony before the interstate commerce
commission has evoked general APP
proyal. 1t is important, he says, es-
tecially in times of car shortage, that
the shippers should load cars as quick
ly as is economically possible and prac-
ticable after they are received. Inc
shipper should also furnish prompt
and definite billing Instructions, and
the instructions so furnished should
take the car if possible to its ultimate
destination Much delay is caused by
the practice of billing cars subject to
order or re-cOnSignment in transit. ana
numerous other devices that have come
about from time to time. All arrange
ments of this kind serve to retard the
movement of cars All arrangements
of this kind are i'll effect special
privilege aside from the service OF
TRANSFORMATION. and in times OF car
shortage such privileges are at the
actual expense Of those whose business
is ipterfered with because OF their IN
ability to slip ut all.
RAILROAD statistics show that the
average car load on all the railroads
in the United States is only about ~
per cent of the carrying capacity o.
the car. and in addition to that about
20 per cent of the total mileage is made
with empty equipment says Mr.. VIII
lard. "A great deal can be done to-
wards getting a more effective use OF
cars by increasing the car load, ana
this is a matter almost entirely within
the control of the shipper, ana serious
consideration should be given among
other things to the revision OF mini
mum car load regulations, to the emu
that more effective use be made OF
all cars"
Mr.. Willard has pointed out the cN'
act method for getting approximately
the service Of 10000 cars out OF the
present equipment His suggestion for
cooperation should be adopted i'll all
parts of the country. particularly us
il is n fact that the shortage OF cars
is so great that it will be months be-
fore if will be possible to secure enough
ears and engines to take care OF the
peak loads.
Fortunately. under the new transpor-
tation act the interstate commerce
commission is authorized to deal
promptly and effectively with the situa-
ton. and in view of the industrial
handicap. every possible effort is being
nut forth to bring the railroad equip
mept up to the old pre-war standard.