Evening journal., 1922-08-09
R. R. EQUIPMENT
ISFOUND
Commerce Commission Re-
ports Fail to Uphold
Charges of Shopmen
FIND MUCH IS
OUT OF SERVICE

WASHINGTON, Aug. e-'The con-
diion of railroad rolling stock. after
nearly six weeks OF the shopmen's
strike. Is not a serious as the union
leaders have indicated. nor IS there
any general menace TO life and
property due 20 the inficiency OF
equipment, according 20 reports
reaching the Interstate Commerce
Commission from that body's field
inspectors.
A good deal Of rhis equipment n
In rundown state and much OF II
is laid up for heavy repairs, but
taken as a whole the locomotives
and cars IN uss over the country are
IN fair condition and there Is no
cause for genuine alarm as TO the
safety OF transportation. IL is added
In their call for a general con-
ference OF all railr1ad union heads
to be held here Friday, the spokes-
men for the shopmen declared that
'Ths lives and safety OF employees
and travelling public. already on
dangered by the continued use OF
defective railroad equipment Will be
lmperiied 70 a greater extent"
Il was indicated that when the
Interstate Commerce Commission
submits IT'S report 70 tho Senate
upon the condition OF railroad roll
ing stock It will admit that much
OF this g. IN decideiy bad order eno
is out OF use, but that very little II
any, actually is detective, is in oper-
alton. In other words. suoh engines
and cars as are IN actual use, for the
most part, are IN reasonably sats-
factory condition.
The commission, II IS stated mas
no facilities for making daily IN
speotions of ell cars, or even OF al
That body has It's
boiler inspection service and It's ou-
reau of safety but Congress never
has seen 1T 10 aIlow enough money
10 make either service Thoroughly
effectiye There are only-a few more
than 100 field inspectors Of the COM
mission, it Is said, and manifestly
shat IS not suficiens force 10 cover
carefully the 1000 railway terminals
where locomotive and other shop
work IS done.
The most important phase of this
work Is that dealing with loeono-
ives. since one defective engine
might not only put out Of use tenn
porarfiy a whole train of cars but
night wreck such a train.
Al the beginning Of the strike, IL
$ stated today, there were approx
nately on, 600 locomotives in use on
Al the railroads Of tiie country. Of
his number about 5000 were in
rood order and stored awaiting a
-evival Of traffio.
On July 10 about $4,000 OF the
OF all the roads were
aid up for heavy repairs-that Is,
'or repairs which could not be made
n less than "a hours. This IS Just a
lew more than the number OF snch
sngines whioh were temporarily out
II commission for the same reason
when the strike began. It is stated. |
Il seems that on July 10 also
here were about 2.600 locomotives |
ieeding minor repairs requiring less
han 20 hours 70 make. Since July !
10 nOHcNtEf lno AAtuAIbI " JUN
classes OF engines has increased ma
as was expected, but there |
ire no reports available at the mo-
neut which g3ve the exact figures.
These, II is stated, VIII be given out l
Is of August by the American |
Association in a few days.
Il has been stated'in certain strike
iircles that no loss than 1000 loco
n notives a day had become unfit for
lse since the strike began. The re-
,orts 20 the Interstate Commerce !
do not bear out this
tatement- Perhaps that many en-
ines have needed some sort OF re-
airs each day. but oil but a small
iercentage have been repaired and
nut back into operation. II this had
iot been the case. 10 was pointed out
oday, there would not now be many
nore than $4,000 efficient looomo-
ives on an the railroads OF the
ountry.
There is said to- be an increasing
lumber OF bad order, freight cars laid
ID by the several railroads. The
aifway executives have not been so
nergetio IN repairing this type OF
largely Tor the reason
hat there has been a large surplus
Q certain classes of fveight cars.
The freight car shortage which
as developed on tho coal-carrying
aflroads and on some Of the grain
erriers is not so much due 20 lack
Z cars as lack OF locomotives. The
ast week for which recent reports
re available. that rs the week ended
MY 20, show that s59.Tss cars were
,aded, a decrease OF something hke
per cent.
Reports received by the Interstate
Commission from its field /.
1spectors are 10 the general effect
hat railroad enginemen generally
re not refusing to take out locomo- ;
YES with which there IS little or Z
othing the matter. Where heavy
spairs are needed the engines are !
OF being moved, II Is said. and ought ;
OF TO be, but few Of the brother q
GOD members are standing on pure
, minor defects.
In ordinary times the regulations ]
AWARDING the condition OF service a
bic locomotives are rigid. During
le war the needs OF transportation
ere so heavy. however, that many
, minor and purely technical re- '
en- ~ a