The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-05-12
RELIEVE
SHORTAGE
Of CARS
Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion Plans Order Which is
Expected to Bring
Results.
GRAIN CROPS MOVING
Equipment to be Diverted From Parts
of Country Where Needs are
Not So Press
ing.
GRAIN CROPS MOVING

| UNITED Press Leased Wire Service ]
| WASHINGTON, May 12.-- The
interstate commerce commission is
planning to act to relieve the car
shortage, delaying movement of COM
] modities, according to information
received by members of the house
| interstate commerce committee to-
iday.
| An order diverting equipment from
parts OF the country where the needs
| are not SO pressing and an embargo
lon non essentials from some sections
are under consideration, it was
learned.
| AS a result of the commission's s
consideration OF the situation, there
! is no need for congress to take
action, Chairman Esch, Wisconsin,
and other members Of the house COM
mittee said The $500.000,000 adi;-
tional loans asked by the railroad
executives for the purchase Of new
equipment cannot relieve the present
situation, they pointed out.
Railroads within ten days will be-
gin preparation to move the grain
crops, Chairman Kendall, of the car
Iservice commission, said today.
| Il think the car shortage will not
be greater than usual in the grain
movement said Kendall.
Storage of cars in the southwest
where the grain movement will open
about June Is, will begin in ten days.
In 1919, 5000 cars were ready when
the southwestern growers were ready
TO ship We hope to be able to have
an equal number of cars ready this
year if necessary. The 1920 crops.
however, are forecast as considerably
below those of 1919.
From then until late fall the grain
movement will continue throughout
the country beginning August Is in
the central west and September Is
in the northwest"
The extent of the nation wide car
shortage at present is indicated, Ken
dali said, by the fact railroads now
are forced to turn down actual orders
for about eighty thousand cars per
day.
The outlaw railroad strike is
blamed for part of the car shortage.
Coal production is being seriously
hampered by the car shortage, &C
cording to reports of the United
States geological survey, which show
that bituminous mines now are pro-
ducing only eight million tons a
week. This is estimated to be three
million tons under the demand.
Among the cities where plants are
running on a short coal supply are
Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Cleveland
and Toledo. Switchmen still are on
strike in these cities and also in
New York, Buffalo, Philadelphia, st.
Louis and Kansas City, reports here
said.
Industries Forced to Close.
CHICAGO, May 12.-Industries In
the middle west are being forced 10
shut down daily because of short
age of cars for transportation of ma
terial, according to reports received
by business men here today.
Chicago Is losing close to two mil
lion dollars day as a result of the
car shortage, according to John M.
Glenn, president of the Illinois Manu-
facturers' association.
Glenn estimated Chicago's indus
tries as running at seventy-five per
cent eof normal.
"This is the situation also in the
adjoining middle western territory
which relies on Chicago for much "
its merchandise" he said There
are plenty of cars in the country, but
the switchmens strike has upse.
everything and cars are standing idle
on side tracks loaded with merchan-
disc, because they can't be switched"
Packers say there has been some
improvement in the car shortage.
Live stock shipments. reports sho ,,
are increasing daily though they have
not reached the figures which packers
say are normal.
Railroad men say there is little
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