The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-30
OPPOSE PLAN y
TO POOL CARS
FOR SHIPPERS
d. D. Conn of Railway Asso-
citation Declares i. Will Lead
To Government Ownership
WON'T CURE EVIL
Deprives Private Management
OF Initiative and Com
petition

Milwaukee, Wis, Jan. 30.-If the
shippers of the country want gov
rnment ownership of railroads, the
doption of plan for pooling
reight cars such as that recently
presented to the Interstate Com
nerce Commission, is the quickest
way to bring it about; if they want
,rivate operation and the mainten-
nee of competition, they will stay
S far away from it as possible.
Thi statement was made at the
nnual dinner Of the Milwaukee
'raffic Club by Donald D. Conn.
ormerly chief Of the Trans
,ortation Division, Joint Com,
mission Of Agricultural Inquiry OF
Congress, and now Of the American
Railway association.
Pooling Cars
"The scheme now proposed for
pooling freight cars is presented as
a panacea for all of our transporta-
ton troubles" Mr.. Conn said, "but
it means the creation Of meddle-
some, irresponsible agency, backed
by S1OO,OOO,OO0 of government funds
and, as designated in it's own pro-
gram, it gives the country less cars
five years from now than there are
today. / want to stress the absolute
fallacy Of expecting any agency
created under federal charter to
represent the desire and intent to
a.. oNyv h in nj
RAILROADS"
Mr.. Conn denied that the report
of the Joint Congressional Commit
tee contained any recommendation
which could abe used for the pur-
pose of passing all of the freight
cars of the country over to an
agency which would be irresponsible
for the financial or operating results
of any single railroad system"
Definite Program
"Under the program which was
set down before the Interstate Com
merce Commission last year by the
advocates of such plan," Mr.. Conn
continued, "a definite program was
proposed to retire $4,000 cars, with
a capacity ranging from 30 to 35
tons within the next five years, and
replace them with $4,000 steel cars
of SO ton capacity. Are the trade
units in this country ready to uti-
lie so ton cars, and nothing else
From January, 1912 to November
1922, a period of 81 months of car
surplus and 43 months of car short
age, an average of only 81 per cent
of the capacities of freight cars
were utilized. An increase in the ca
pacity Of the car increases the emp
ty.. ton miles which must be hauled
when the car is partially loaded or
when it is returned empty. While
the railroads are generally adopt
ing standard of 40 and so ton box
cars, l do not believe that any ex-
perienced railroad man or shipper is
ready to say that all cars should be
on SO ton basis. The average to-
day is 42.2 tons, and this includes
the high capacity coal cars.
Consider It a Remedy
"Those who advocate car pooling
prey upon the car shortage londi-
tions of the past fall and offer it as
remedy. 1t is contended that if
such asplan is put in effect, cars can
moved around the country any time
Ind in any way to suit the demands
Z IL the shipper. Transportation
hOrtage, rather than car shortage,
s the term which correctly implies
lack of transportation to meet the
demands of the shippers. Trans
oortation shortage represents not a
shortage of cars alone, but rather
shortage of all kinds of railroad
ABILITIES. There is nothing in the
Ian for car pooling which ipsures
he building Of more tracks or more
locomotives, and in turn, quicker
movement.
ut is contended that car pool
will result in reduction in empty
mileage and will have tendency to
eliminate empty movement simply
to get cars home. The only past ex-
perience we have had in such an
undertaking was during federal con-
troll, when the ratio of the empty car
mileage to the total car mileage
was 2 per cent greater than during
the past five years period to federal
control.
Claim Saving
ut is claimed that saving Of Is
per cent would be made in switch
ing at terminals are loaded cars.
This leaves 80 per cent Of the
switching to cover the empty move
ment, and it is claimed by the advo-
cate Of the car pool that % per cent
of this amount can be 1aved. Fig
ures shaw that during federal con-
troll the percentage Of switch en-
CINE mileage to the total was great
er during that period than subse-
quent1y.
This plan does not propose to
eliminate any Of the existing rail-
wy machinery for the repair Of
equipment or its operation but sim
ply adds we may, term overhead
shops and = large expensive organ
ization Of rebuilding and allocating
cars.
The plan advanced before the In
terstate Commerce Commission pro-
poses to control directly less than
81 per cent Of the freight car re-
paits il the United States. and the
80 ! I