Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-16
COAL SHORTAGE
IS PREDICTED
Too Late to Halt Shortage,
Expert Says---Cars in
Poor Condition
By Harry Hunt


WASHINGTON, Aug. 16-Predic-
tions of a serious coal shortage next
winter were given additional weight
today by statements made by Julius
H. Parmelee, director of the Bureau
of Railway Economics.
Even though the coal strike
should be settled, attempts to speed
up transportation of coal will be
seriously hampered by the condition
of railway rolling stock, he declared.
There are today. Parmelee says.
approximately double the normal
number of bad-order cars-the total
being in the neighborhood of 300,-
900 out of a grand total of 2.344.OO0
freight cars.
Because of the shipments strike,
and the consequent failure to make
necessary repairs, the number of
cars which will have to be laid up
for a general overhauling within a
few months is rapidly increasing.
The peak of out-of-order cars and
locomotives seems likely to be
reached about the time the peak de-
mand for coal transportation arrives
and will add a serious complication
to the fuel situation.
Normally" says Parmelee, "about
Z to 8 per cent of freight cars are
out of service for repairs. Today,
however that percentage Is in the
neighborhood Of IA per cent and is
Increasing.
80 far the numbers of laid-up
locomotives has shown no large in
crease, but because of present shop
conditions it is naturally to be ex-
pected that that will follow.
Heavier Load
r]L ..--A-- 4--- 1fov yrY nyYt
because of bad condition, however,
does not wholly reveal the real stu
alton. BY keeping in service large
numbers of cars which are in need
of minor repairs, but which are still
sufficiently s~erviceable that they are
not In danger of actually breaking
down or endangering their contents,
q heavier load of major repairs will
have to be met in the early future.
It Is a case of failure to take a
stitch in time Cars that could be
laid up now and repaired in a day
or two al a cost of perhaps $40 or
$50, will have to be laid up in a few
months to undergo general over
hauling or rebuilding at a cost Of
several hundred dollars.
despite the coal strike and the
great falling off in coal shipments
that resulted, there mas Deen the
surprising condition of an actual in
crease in total car loadings over a
ye1r ago. That indicates hat busi-
nsx, was decidedly on the upgrade
q the time the strike came. In
fact, it was the momentum that
business generally was acquiring
that carried total a loadings
steadily upward through the first
months of the strike. despite the
loss of nearly one-half normal coal
shipments.
so Per Cent Less
'In April, the first month Of the
strike, the number Of cars of coal
shipped was just SO per cent less
than the number shipped in April.
1921. The total cars loaded. for all
purposes, however, in April, was 30
per cent more than in April. 1921.
"In May coal shipments declined
47.4 per cent. but total a loadings
increased 3.5.
'In June coal shipments were of
1913 per cent, but shipments OF
freight exceeded those in June, 1921,
by 1916 per cent.
"And even in July, following the
shipments strike, with coal ship
ments off 48 per cent, total car
loadings were 10 per cent above the
preceding July"
copyright, 1922. NEA service)