The Washington times., 1923-06-11
CAR SHORTAGE
IS.REGARDED
AS CERTAIN
Movement of Crops Is Already
Difficult Though Sea-
son Is Quiet.
By GEORGE r. HOLMES.
International News Service.

International News Service.
A car shortage is inevitable this
| fall, which will be fully as bad il
not worse than the shortage of last
year when millions of dollars worth
of fruit and produce rotted in the
West because of growers inability
to get enough space on the rail-
roads to ship it to market.
This gloomy prospect, Govern
ment officials said today, is amply
borne out by reports being gath
cred from all parts of the country.
How to meet the situation is a
question that is looming larger and
larger as the time approaches for
heavy seasonal movement of crops.
Even at present, considered a
comparatively quiet time in the
| shipping world, just before the
| midsummer movement of crops,
the railroads are damned with NOV
ing freight and unable to supply all
the demands for cars. The car
shortage on May 81 was officially
reported by the American Railway
Association today as being 1927
cars. What it will be when the
West begins to dump grains and
produce at terminals for movement
to seaboard and Eastern markets,
no official today would attempt to
estimate.
Growers Will Protest.
The American Railway Associa-
ton is fully cognizant of the situa-
ton and is moving to meet it and
to forestall the nationwide flood
Of criticism that is looked upon as
certain when growers are again
forced to see the fruits of their
labor rotting on the ground because
the railroads cannot handle the
stuff.
To meet partially the situation
looming ahead, the American Rail
way Association today announced
the appointment of number Of
regional advisory boards" in vari
Gus sections Of the country. These
boards consist entirely of big ship
pers, giving the shipping public
direct voice in the activities Of
the car service DIVISION" and have
been appointed, the announcement
said, ito bring about the fullest
measure of cooperation between
shippers and the railroads"
Boards Appointed.
The five boards appointed today
were:
Southeastern, with headquarters
at Birmingham, under the chair
manship of A. G. T. Moore, South
ern Pine Association, New Orleans.
Southwestern, with headquarters
at Dallas, under the Craftsmanship
of j. H. Johnston, Oklahoma Cot
ton Seed Crushers Association, Okla
homa City.
TranS-Missouri-Kan with head
quarters at st. Louis, under the
craftsmanship of Clyde NJ Reed.
chairman, Kansas Public Utilities
Commission, Topeka.
Central Western, with headuuar-
at Minneapolis. under the chairman
ship of H. G. Taylor, Nebraska State
Railway Commission, Lincoln. Neb.
Northwestern, with headquarters
at Minneapolis, under the chairman
ship of j. P. Reed, president Minne-
sofa Farm Bureau, st. Paul.
Other boards soon will be aD-
pointed for the rest of the country.
See Political Effect.
The political aspect of another
great car shortage Is worrying
railroads and Administration off
Gals alike.
If the farmers of the West suffer
losses this year as they did last,
their grievances will be translated
early in the new Congress into a
demand that the Government take
drastic action to compel the rail-
roads to keep apace with the serv-
ice requirements of the public or
surrender their charters The rail-
road question is to be torn open in
the new Congress anyway, and a.
car shortage, bringing suffering to
thousands Of shippers, will not
tend to pacify the elements in both
parties that are demanding Govern
ment ownership.
Shippers resentment might be
calculated also to resolve itself into
resentment against the party in
power, particularly if the expected
car shortage results in the ogre Of
hard times" being raised in the
West.