Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-18
CRUCIAL TEST NOW
. FACING RAILROADS.
Nations Huge Grain Crop
Movement to Start at
Once in Texas.
BY J. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 1s.-The railroads
of the United States will begin their
Bug test Saturday, when the first grain
of the 1923 harvest will fall before
the blades Of the reapers In Hill
county, Texas. The next six weeks
will show whether or not the rail-
roads are in condition to handle the
crop movements of the country and
at the same time keep the present
great volume of other commodities
and manufactured goods flowing into
channels Of consumption. Their abil-
ity to do those two things will go far
toward determining whether or not
present business prosperity Is to con-
tinue throughout the year.
Oats to BE Cut First.
The oats fields will be the first
RAPED this season, the Texas crop
having matured earlier than ever be-
fore in the history of the state. In
side Of ten days the oats harvest will
have moved up to the central and
will be no cutting of wheat, however.
before June 5. Within ten days after
that time the knives are expected to
be clicking through the Kansas crop.
northward until the grain of the
northwest is gathered In August.
The harvest this year will give en-
ployment to scores OF thousands OF
as<the summer advances. In fact. the
m st pressing problem of the farmer.
outside that Of railroad facilities. is
to secure sufficient hands for this
work.
Huge Crops in Prospect.
Wheat production in the Lone Star
state this year is expected to reach
bushels These fisures are higher than
the greatest previous yields in the
state. Last year 100000 bushels of
of oats were harvested. but drought
and other unfavorable conditions held
down the totals. Acreage In Texas
is put little larger than in 1922, but
the yield per acre will be exceptional
Oklahoma. which will swing next
into the harvest line. is expected by
Agriculture Department experts to
heavy increase over last season. The
prices farmers in the southwest will
receive for their crops will be about
the same as those which prevailed
last year, according to indications
today.
The middle west. and especially the
intermountain west, Is expected to
yield excellent crops, but the north
west is looking forward to reduced
totals due to unfavorable weather
spring. Spring planting has been
nearly two weeks behind In the
northwest and corn seeding has just
started in southern Minnesota and
South Dakota Business in that sec
tiqn already has begun to feel the re-
sits of these conditions in a reduced
volume OF retail buying in the rural
districts.
Railroads have made close esti-
mates and calculations on the amount
OF equipment the crop movement Will
require in each section and plan to
regulate car supply accordingly. In
many centers every available me-
chanic has been put to work in the
shops of the carriers to push repairs,
and car builders and locomotive man
ufxcturers are being pressed to the
utmost for delivery of new equipment.
Special Plans for Cars.
The car service division OF the
an order last month to eastern lines
providing that western-owned equip
ment must be returned Immediately
to the western roads in preparation
for the harvest. During the period
from April IS to May the eastern
cars. This order still is in effect and
Will be rigidly enforced. according
to telegraphic advices today from
Chicago.
From present indications there will
be an ample supply Of motive power
available. but there still exists a
danger Of a box car shortage. It Is
expected that loading and unloading
Of cars will be conducted more ex-
peditiously than ever before.