New-York tribune., 1920-10-18
Stray Freight Cars Great
Problem, Says 81. Paul Head
important Carrier of Northwest Unable Adequately
10 handle Abundant Grain Crops; Abuses Should
be Corrected, He Says, Giving His Remedy

fore it is suitable for use on the home
road again
The trend of the traffic of the coun
try Is eastward, at least so far as box
cars are concerned, and consequently
the box cars accumulate from time to
time in the eastern part Of the coun-
try. During Federal control, and since.
there have been periodical attempts to
relocate box cars by the steam shovel
method of ordering several thousand
or them West, but the results have
been far from effective, and most of
the cars that finally find their way
west under such circumstances are not
lit for grain loading.
This is the situation the grain-car-
rying roads of the West and the people
they serve are confronted with. What
is the remedy? Simply to return to
the former plan of recognizing the
right of the owning road to have it's
car returned either loaded or empty
as soon as it has discharged its load
At destination on another road. In or
der to do this it will be necessary to
exercise the same power of the law
that required the car to run through
with its load to get the car back to its
owner again. The law has performed d
only half its duty when the car is re-
CURED to leave its owners rails. It
should complete the Job and REQUIRE
the return of the car to it's ownc
loaded or empty. Then there would be
some encouragement to buy new cars
TO meet the needs of traffic, but there
Is not much inducement under the
present circumstances to roads that are
financially able to buy new cars at
$4,000 each and then load them but
once to distant part of the country
and not get them home for several
years. This happens frequently.
To Increase Roads Value
Railroads without sufficient equip
ment TO meet the requirements of the
pubic are of little value, and the great
heed or moro freight equipme ent to
meet the growing needs of the coun-
try makes it necessary that cvery en-
couragement be given to roads that
ere able and willing to buy cars that
'ney shall be assured of the continu-
Gus use of them by recurring their
return to the owner at all times.
nus the strong roads would furnish
their cars to take loads to their desti
nations on the lines not owning sufG
clent equipment and gene rally to pro-
mote the free movement of freight
to all part of the country.
A few cars will be built under such
circumstances, but no abundance Of
cars Will be provided until the daily
return of cars to owners is assured
The folly of attempting to build
up an adequate supply of freight equip
ment while continuing the present IN
regulated interchange of cars will be
apparent to any one who thouphtfully
studies the subject Freight cars must
be returned promptly. regularly and
positively. 1t will be no easy task.
The misuse has become too deep-seated
during the past two years. The rail
roads cannot do it alone They must
have the help of the governing author
tiles and the shippers, but it must be
done before we can have ADEQUATE
and satisfactory freight service in this
country.
copyriSht. 1920 by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
This Is tho seventh of a series Of
taoelve articles on transportation prob
lens bv ruilroad presidents and chair
n'en. +. D. Undcr,qood, president Of
the Erie Railroad Company, .ciu erplain
in the eighth article tomorrow why he
believes the sfe0su jooo@nof;,,~ =. <o~ f.u.