The Washington times., 1920-05-14

TO RELIEVE T|E-UP
Rail Executives Consider Means
For Coping With Serious
Freight Congestion.

Sweeping embargo proposals on GER.
tain classes of trarfic. are considered
by leading rail executives, the most
effective means Of coping with the
chaotic railroad tierups at Eastern and
middle wsstesn terminals, II was, de-
clared by Officials OF the Interstate
Commerce Commission today. BY
tightening the embargo, officials said'
food and supplies most necessary 10
safeguard the health OF the people
and interests Of industry, can be
moved.
Rail executives reported today only
slight Improvement In the labor STU
alton. Serious labor shortages on all
principal lines continue to impair
transportation efficiency. Inadequacy
OF motive power and serious car
shortage were other serious factors
reported to the commission. as eie' :
ments difficult to overcome for some
time.
Sanction EmbarEees.
Officials, after q survey OF the situ-
alton, were prepared. to sanction NOR"
rigid embargoes in order that the
lines now choked with freight may De
cleared. Rail executives In telephone
communication with officials here re.
ported that extraordinary Efforts are
being made by the roads, with their
depleted, labor torcss. to remedy the
situation. Some Improvement may
be'expected. within The next twenty
four hours through the measures ~
be taken, by The executives. rss
The railroads, greatly undermanned
and suffering for lack OF equipment.
have not yet determined fully their
capital expenditure plans for new
nd a'va w a Ting leg
islation from Congress. SO great are
the needs for the railroads that plans
to draw upon the $500 0OO, 900 reyolved
fund created by the new railroad act
are heId In abeyance, in,thc hope that
Cong ress may meet the situation with
much larger fu1ds. As%9
Existing high prices OF bread and
other foodstufrs are small compared
to what they will be if something is
not done soon to relieve congested
freight conditions. Gray Silver. Wash
ington representative OF the American
Farm Bureau Federation. said ycster-
day.
Farm Labor Scarce.
The added circums tances of re-
duced acreage on the farms, scarcity
of farm labor and the late spring
were pointed to by Silver as causes
that ARE bound 10 make tne prices
OF foodstuffs balloon"
Silver said the freight congestion
is one OF the worst difficulties i'm the
way. Spring supplies, see potatoes
and other seed, fertilizer, and agri-
cultural implements are tied up" he
said.
Alarm is felt at the Capitol over thr
congested situation. 1t is attributed
primarily to the scarcity of rolling
stock on the roads. the concentration
on Eastern lines of cars belonging on
Western roads and clogging OF the
terminals with cars as a result of the
switchmen's strike. The latter cir
cumstances had the double effect OF
tying UP cars en- route and preventing
the shifting of foreign cars back
West from the Eastern roads.
These conditions are delaying the
work of hauling away grain that now
fill the elevators in the West. 1t is
said there are 2O,OOO,00O or more
bushels in Chicago and 100000 in
Minneapolis, with millions more in
the country elevators. Harvest is but
a few weeks away and within ninety
days the 1920 crop will be ready Fer
movement