The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-11-30
|R. G. PHILLIPS HELPS
IN CAR SITUATION

The appeal of the Hood River Traffic
Association and apple shippers OF Ida
no for relief from the car shortage
has aroused r. G. Phillips, of Roches-
ter. N. Y, executive secretary Of the
international Apple Shippers Associa-
tion. Local shippers have just re-
ceived from Mr.. Phillips copies Of
letter forwarded by himself to j. K.
Crawford, of Chicago. Ill, superinn-
tendent of transportation of the Pacflic
Fruit Express, which follows
81 want to urge you with all pos
sible earnestness to concentrate on the
Hood River district and Idaho, and al
locate as many ?. F. z. cars as you
can to the Union Pacific for that pur-
pose. If those people do no get relief
the losses will be enormous.
1.-THE car loading figures show to No
vember IA that only 19, 795 cars of
boxed apples have been moved as
against 38, l44 for the same time last
year, about 80 per cent. Oregon has
moved only 1872 as against 3.SlS last
year, or about "a per cent. Idaho has
moved 1887 as against 4,760, or 80 to
40 per cent. Washington has moved
20, 1877, or pretty near so per cent.
'At the same time California has
moved "a, 468. cars of grapes as against
80, 5l9 last year; 1861 cars of pears
as against 4,391 last year, and 3,127
cars of apples as against 4,l5l last
year.
al am citing the above because the
p. F. K. is supposed to take care of
Oregon and Idaho as well as Califor-
mia. In fact the P. +. K. is practical
ly the only reliance Oregon and Idaho
have. Oregon and Idaho are away
down the scale in apple movement.
The figures indicate they have not had
the cars they should have had.
1.-THE result is most serious situa-
ton. The Hood River district-and
that includes all of it and the various
stations way back to Mt. Hoods in
desperate straits. Farmers can't haul,
warehouses are jammed apples get
ing out Of condition, contracts being
cancelled. and hard freeze will add
to the catastrophe.
A letter from Idaho says among
other things: 1--WE are up against the
worst situation as regards cars that
believe the west has ever known"
Fruit is deteriorating and a cold will
complete the job. The letter further
states that the railroads claim that
diversions are responsible for the car
shortage. No comment needsbe made
on the letter.
"The reports Indicate that the de-
liveries of the p. f. E. westbound are
increasing through the Chicago and
River gateways. The Pennsylvania is
making desperate effort to get some
200 to 1.500 empty westbound REFERS
over the Allegheny mountains and
seems to be making some real progress.
The Erie, up to few days ago, had
reduced its P. f. Z. holdings from
2, 800 TO $500 down to about 1900.
Hence there ought to be an increased
delivery westbound. With these in
creased deliveries special attention
must be given to the Hood River dis
trict and Idaho. | understand that
rains have put the remaining wine
grapes in California out of the run
ming. Whether this is so or not, we
have simply got to relieve the North
western apple movement, at least give
it a relative even break with Califor-
MIA and other territory. | have asked
Mr.. Adams of the u. p. if he could not
put empties through by special fast
schedule to Hood River and Idaho.
"If the carriers do not get the most
of these apples out of the Northwest
be fore cold weather it will be good
bye. Twenty-Five to 80 per cent Of the
motive power of the country is con-
ceded to be in bad order or out of com
mission. The chances are that the
percentage is higher. The normal
scheduled time in transit under load
has been practically doubled and in
some cases trebled. The return move
ment must be even worse. The effici-
ency or availability of present equip
ment has at the very least calculations
been reduced 80 percent. In view Of
this, If we have a cold winter, we shall
see, in my judgment, the worst condi-
tions ever known in this country from
a transportation standpoint.
81 am therefore again urging with all
the earnestness | can that you give
special attention now to Oregon and
Idaho, while the going is good. Re-
ieve them; get the pressure down to
normal where they can handle them
selves later. They are in cold coun-
| try they have no southern routes that
are open all the year. These districts
should be concentrated on; it is just
good common sense and railToading to
do it.
81 have not been receiving any re-
ports from you in some time as to de-
tentions. Where are your cars? What
roads have them and how many? How
long have they had them? OF course
know where lot of them are and have
been but give me the whole story and
we will go the limit to pry them loose
Something has got to be done to move
these apples and get the supply down
to point where the balance can be
protected"
Sixty refrigerator cars were allotted
growers here Friday, as many as ship
ping facilities could handle. Shippers
were assured that approximately this
number would be allocated here in
steady stream from now on, in which
case the jammed warehouses will soon